


What's wrong with Assistant Kang?

by Alimon



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Boss/Employee Relationship, Character Development, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Dark Past, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama, Misunderstandings, Rare Pairings, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Slow Burn, longfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 69,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21874639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alimon/pseuds/Alimon
Summary: Misunderstandings arise when Jaehee Kang, Jumin Han's highly capable assistant, announces that she will resign from her position, after working for Jumin for over two years.(Jumin X Jaehee)
Relationships: Han Jumin & Kang Jaehee, Han Jumin/Kang Jaehee
Comments: 34
Kudos: 148





	1. My Assistant

The late night sky was soon present over the Executive Director and assistant's heads. Tonight would be fairly beneficial for C&R International and its famous business deals. It would be no other than an elite party to which Jumin Han, of course, was invited.

And he brought possibly the most efficient employee in the whole world with him, Chief Assistant Jaehee Kang.

Tonight would be fairly beneficial, indeed.

"Greetings, Mr. Han." the host of the occasion as well as the director of his own company spoke to him as soon as he arrived, giving him a slight, respectful bow.

"Greetings, Mr. Jung," Jumin responded with a pleasing smile of his own as he bowed back, "this event seems quite interesting, may I say."

"I'm glad those are your thoughts regarding this. We may discuss the deal I promised after dinner is served. Care to entertain yourself until then?" he added the last part as he turned around to walk away to other matters.

"I will. Have a good evening."

As he said this, Jumin Han turned around himself before softly nudging his assistant's arm, who had been standing there blankly and silently as he spoke, only bowing down when the two men did.

"Come on, Assistant Kang," he muttered gently but clearly, glancing at her with those steely grey eyes of his, "follow me."

Jaehee nodded, before following her boss's orders as usual.

It may not look like it, but this whole "Pleasure to meet you! How are you?" was just a facade to get the real benefits: a good reputation and a good deal.

They came hand in hand after all.

"What should we do next, Mr. Han?" the brown-haired woman asked the very tall man next to her.

"As per usual, we'll talk with the international directors and share some casual conversations as well as exchange contacts."

"Understood, Mr. Han." Jaehee nodded firmly, feeling confident of her job.

Jumin suddenly grimaced, though, confusing her. "I'm afraid I'll also have to speak with Sarah Choi..." he explained his deep worry, avoiding her eyes.

"Oh, no... I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Han. My condolences." the assistant expressed with sincere sorrow.

Jumin sighed, aggravated, and rubbed his temples. "Yes, it will be hard. But what must be done, must be done, Assistant Kang."

"Jumin!" they both heard a squeaky long holler in the near distance.

Jumin hesitated for half a second before actually answering Sarah with no joy at all, "Hello..."

"Juminny! I missed you so much, sweetie! You said you were gonna visit me! Why didn't you, huh?!" she began the sentence with cheerful happiness but ended it with enraged annoyance.

 _"She changes emotions so fast..."_ Jaehee had a meaningless thought as a sweatdrop went down her cheek.

"I'm afraid I haven't had much time to reunite lately... I apologize." the raven-haired man said calmly, not even looking at Sarah.

His fake girlfriend huffed angrily. "Well! I'll forgive you... but only after you give me my gift."

Jumin blinked at the statement. "...Pardon?"

"My gift! Today is White Day, for goodness' sake, Jumin!"

The corporate director stood there along Jaehee, both puzzled and extremely silent. They exchanged glances with each other, as if concording what to do next with their eyes.

"Forgive me, I left it at the limousine. Assistant Kang, would you be so kind as to bring it to me?" he asked Jaehee, shifting a little.

"Hm, ye—"

"They're peonies, right? They must be, right, Juminny?!" Sarah interrupted shamelessly, brushing her fuchsia hair with one hand and putting the other hand to her hips.

"...Yes... peonies." Jumin concluded, gazing at the assistant again.

"Understood!" Jaehee quipped before basically running off to do the improvised errand.

It just had to be peonies! Peonies of all effing flowers! The flower she had found out just last month after she had been gifted of them at her birthday that she was irremediably allergic to!

She swore Sarah somehow did this on purpose.

Panting repeatedly after the very long jog, she finally reached the closest flower shop.

"Please give me the most freshly cut peonies you have. Thank you." she instructed at the same time she pulled out the money necessary and laid it on the countertable rapidly.

After she had finished buying the flowers, heavily pulled together, she proceeded to run again, only this time, way more tired and sweaty than previously, not to mention sneezing loudly.

"Achew! Achoo!"

"Ack! Mr. Han! Your peonies!" She stumbled but composed herself as she reached the "couple" and elegantly handed over the flowers to her boss, who thanked her with the faintest of smiles and a glance before looking at Sarah.

She managed to go and do everything in less than eight minutes.

"Here, Sarah. Happy White Day."

Sarah immediately squealed excitedly as she basically snatched them away. "Eeee! Thanks, Jumi—"

"Let's go now, Assistant Kang."

* * *

"As you can see, Jumin is the best boyfriend a woman could possibly ask for! Look at these flowers he was dying to give me as soon as he saw my face! I told you that trip to the spa at London last week was worth it."

"Wow, Sarah! I'm so damn jealous! You're so lucky!" Another girl of a rich background gawked at the pink-haired girl, feeling incredibly envious.

Dating Jumin Han seemed like an impossible privilege on its own.

Sarah smirked, continuing to show off. "Yeah, indeed. It's great to be me."

* * *

"We're finally able to speak about the project, Jumin." the time to discuss the deal with Mr. Jung had finally come, and both Jumin and Jaehee were really eager to get it over with.

"Let's get to it, shall we?" the 27 year-old man answered, walking towards the meeting room; indicating Jaehee to follow him with his hand.

"Assistant Kang, take notes, please."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"Well, that went perfectly." Jumin said, sincerely content, as he sat down the limousine seats along his assistant.

Jaehee smiled, glad, looking at him with cheer. "I can't help but feel relieved. The deal finally went through!"

But inside her real worries were: "So long cat projects!"

"Relief isn't the right feeling. You should be feeling proud over your efficiency at your job, Assistant Kang. You did well, as expected of you." Jumin told her, staring at her as well.

His silver eyes didn't seem as cold as before, somehow, warmer.

Jaehee couldn't help but stutter at the sight, "Thank... thank you."

"It isn't a compliment. It's merely a fact."

"I see." Jaehee exhaled: what was she expecting from Jumin Han anyway?

Jumin didn't notice. "By the way, Assistant Kang, I'll be leaving to that trip to Japan soon..."

"Oh, God, no."

"And I'll need you to take care of Elizabeth for a while."

"Oh, God, no!"

Eventually, Jaehee let out a sorrowful sigh. "...All right, Mr. Han... I just wish you would consider that holiday I mentioned..."

"Of course. As soon as the company has the leisure, I'll make sure to give you your vacation." Jumin quickly answered, satisfied with the deal.

"Thank you, Mr. Han! I'll be gladly awaiting!" The short-haired woman cheered up in an instant at his words. Some well-deserved rest and Zen's musicals was all she needed!

Jumin smiled softly at her before Driver Kim drove away.


	2. My Boss

Afterwards, they reached Jumin's penthouse, where he took out Elizabeth the Third and put her in a comfortable pet carrier as he brought her to the limousine with care.

Jaehee grimaced when the cat immediately leapt out from the carrier and began purring and stroking herself against the woman who disliked cat fur.

Jumin dismissed his assistant after they arrived to her apartment, waving at her slightly and ordering her to take excellent care of his precious princess.

Jaehee sighed like she did everytime she got frustrated (which was extremely often).

But Jumin knew no matter what, he could trust Jaehee with his cat's life, and only her.

* * *

"Yoosung? Sorry... I won't be able to meet up with you tonight." Jaehee Kang answered the familiar phone call, holding it to her ear with one shoulder and holding Elizabeth's heavy body with the other.

"Whaaaat? Did Jumin make you work till late again?" Yoosung whined loudly through the other end of the line, making Jaehee flinch.

"No, actually. I arrived quite early today..." she clarified, glancing away even though she couldn't look at Yoosung in the first place.

"Then what happened...?"

"Elizabeth happened."

"Oh... Sorry, Jaehee."

"I'm used to it by now. But I just don't get it. It wouldn't hurt to possibly leave this grown cat alone for 24 hours, would it?!" the woman yelled to no one in particular, letting Elizabeth down from her arms and waving them in the air.

"...Jaehee... You're scary when you're angry..." Yoosung softly whimpered in the other end of the line, clearly with fear.

"Ha..." Jaehee couldn't help but let out a small breath as if it were a laugh, but soon contradicted herself by growling.

"Please calm down!"

She finally reasoned with him and relaxed her stiff shoulders for just a second.

"...You're right. I have to calm down to properly look after Elizabeth." she said with responsibility.

As if on cue, Elizabeth the Third screeched loudly in the background, "Meooow!"

Worriedly, Jaehee turned her eyes at the white cat, who was staring at her intently. "I think she's hungry again... But it isn't in the schedule to feed her at this hour... What should I do?"

"If that's what will happen when I start working for Jumin as an intern, I seriously think I will go nuts!" Yoosung retorted, sounding agitated.

Jaehee's chuckle was almost inaudible. "Indeed... But it's better than being unemployed."

Yoosung sighed dramatically. "The life of an employee!"

"Meooooow!" Elizabeth screeched again, making the brown-haired woman want to firmly cover her ears.

"Huh! Is Elizabeth alright?!" The college blond boy gasped from the other line, concerned.

"She's okay! I think..." Jaehee quickly amended, not wanting Yoosung to get the wrong impression. Elizabeth usually never acted like this.

"Jaehee... I've been thinking of speaking with you about something..." he suddenly said with a grim tone.

"What do you have in mind, Yoosung?"

"It's not something I can say over the phone."

Jaehee tilted her head with utmost confusion. What in the world did Yoosung want to talk about?

"Really? How come?"

"I feel it's a little too important for that..."

"...You better not be planning to suddenly confess to me or something..." Jaehee warned the boy with a low voice.

"Wha-?! Obviously not!" Yoosung basically screamed from the phone, very panicked, probably blushing.

"Huh... N-no offense..." he added nervously.

"It's fine. I feel calmer knowing you don't think of me that way."

"So... Jaehee, please meet up with me tomorrow at six, okay? Let's eat dinner together!"

"Hm..." The woman thought it over for a minute before smiling gently. "Okay."

"Yay! See you tomorrow, Jaehee!"

She heard a beep and the phone went silent again. "Ah. He hung up."

"Meooooooow!"

Jaehee, not knowing what else to do, leaned down and patted her head with a stroke of her hand. "What's wrong?" she asked, wondering what could possibly be going on.

But as soon as she got pet, the cat began purring just as loudly, but now happily.

"Oh." Jaehee's brown eyes narrowed into slits. "You just wanted attention, didn't you?!"

She could swear the cat was smirking at her.

"Ha... What is my life anymore...?"

Sometimes she wondered... Was this really the best her life could get?


	3. Jaehee's Loneliness

"Yum! Grilled pork is the best, don't you think?" Yoosung gushed, stuffing the food inside his mouth excitedly.

He and Jaehee were sitting comfortably inside a barbeque restaurant the next day, as planned.

"Lately, I haven't really gotten time for food, either..." Jaehee whispered, gazing away. Her shoulders were completely stiff and her head was clearly in the clouds ever since they arrived.

"Aw, come on, Jaehee!" Yoosung stopped eating to pout at her and complain about the stress she was emanating. "You're away from work for once!"

And he was away from LOLOL for once, too.

"I'm actually surprised Mr. Han dismissed me on time today."

Because usually she was the very last, before Jumin, to leave the C&R building.

"Maybe it's 'cause I mentioned it in the chatroom last night! Hee hee." Yoosung grinned at her proudly, waving a fork along his movement.

Jaehee cocked her head to the side in momentary confusion before remembering the RFA chatroom and sighing. Yoosung truly had made a big deal about it.

But appreciated the intention anyway. "I see. Thank you, Yoosung."

The assistant still couldn't help but feel something must be wrong for Jumin Han to suddenly let her go like that. She kept nervously fidgeting with her fingers under the table.

"Will Mr. Han be able to deal with that project Mr. Chairman left us all by himself? Should I have stayed?" Jaehee wondered inside her head with anxiety.

Yoosung finally took notice that something was bothering her as he leaned to the side to glance at the older woman, putting down his food.

He puffed up his cheeks, concerned. "Stop being so anxious, Jaehee! What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" Jaehee returned to reality for a second. "Huh, just... work."

Yoosung turned clearly frustrated at the statement, blowing off air and putting his arms behind his back as he did when upset. "See? This is _exactly_ what I wanted to talk about!"

The short-haired woman with non-prescription glasses stared at him, confused. "I don't understand?"

"Your job, Jaehee! All the work Jumin gives you!" he explained, frowning deeply. "You clearly don't have a life out of being Jumin's assistant, do you?"

Jaehee sat there, speechless.

She really didn't have a life outside of her job?

"W-well, there's Zen-"

"Is that everything? There's way more in the world other than musicals...!"

"Well..."

"And Jumin doesn't let you enjoy any of it because he's so possessive of you!" he bellowed, making Jaehee stop breathing on the spot.

"...Excuse me?" she finally managed to speak up, still frozen. "Possessive?"

The violet-eyed boy just blinked.

"Huh, yeah? Jumin treats you like his possession. He always keeps you closest to him and doesn't let you leave for too long, and he gives you extra projects unlike all the other employees. And you're the only one he trusts to take care of Elizabeth, and he's kept you in your position for three years already-"

Yoosung was interrupted when Jaehee suddenly exploded with laughter, shocking him, if not everyone at the restaurant.

She was still laughing her head off, when Yoosung tried to talk to her, extremely puzzled.

"Ja-Jaehee? What's... What's so funny?"

"Mr. Han?! Possessive of me?!" she sniggered, half covering her mouth with her left hand.

"Yeah-"

"Yoosung, don't you realize?" Her eyes widened, as did her mouth, with surprise. "That's a ridiculous thought. Of course I'd find it funny."

"But-"

"Mr. Han always keeps me close to him because... because I'm his assistant. There's no other reason. I'm just that." she explained to him, laughter quickly dying and being replaced with a serious expression.

The 21 year-old seemed conflicted for a while and stayed silent. "But..." he spoke again.

Then he huffed and waved his hand mindlessly. "Nevermind." He gave her a small smile. "I still think Jumin treats you in a really insensitive way sometimes, though."

Jaehee's lips quirked up a little, though her eyes were sad.

She never thought Yoosung worried over her boss like that. It was only Zen and occasionally Luciel just days ago.

"I'm actually surprised you're so concerned about this, Yoosung... I thought you'd be playing LOLOL or something of the sort at this point." she admitted.

"Hey! You seriously think I don't worry?" He looked like he was about to cry. "Of course I do, Jaehee! You're a member of the RFA! I care! We all do!"

"I'm sure even Jumin does," he added, tapping his chin.

Jaehee hummed, smiling ever so slightly, but not really believing the words.

"Thank you, Yoosung. Sincerely... I'm very thankful. You're truly a good friend." she told him with a warm voice, feeling touched.

"Eh, it's nothing." He scratched his neck, embarrassed. "Besides, you're the best one out of the two of us... While I'm only an obsessive gamer, you actually work so hard everyday..."

Jaehee didn't respond, only gazing away.

* * *

Outside the restaurant, on the way back home, the brunette young woman couldn't help but worriedly think over Yoosung's past claims.

"I don't have a life?"

Was Jumin actually possessive of her? Did he think of her as some toy that should be intently available to him at any hour and minute and second of the day?

Sometimes, it did feel like it.

But then again, what was she expecting?

He was only her boss. She was only his assistant...

Nothing more. Nothing less.

The only thing that kept her going was the money in her bank account and overall, Zen's existence.

She couldn't ask for anything more than that. That was enough for her. Her reason to be happy...

As she went inside the bus and sat down along the rest of the passengers, her honey brown eyes couldn't help but wander at a very happy couple sitting just in front of her; they held a small, healthy child between them as the three beamed and smiled and laughed quite cheerfully.

Then a thought passed by her mind.

"Could I ever have a family like that?"

She shook her head almost immediately.

"Obviously not. I'm way too busy for that kind of luxury..."

Luxury. Everything involving time was a luxury to her. Events that would be the most important and special to any other person were basically impossible for Jaehee Kang and her extremely full schedule.

She barely had time to sleep, less date. And even less get married and have children.

And why was this?

Because of Jumin Han and solely him. And all the consequences that came with working for him.

Jaehee suddenly felt very lonely.

* * *

When she finally arrived at her house, basically moping around and questioning everything, she was utterly astonished when Sarah Choi greeted her at her apartment door, fuming.

"You're his assistant, right?! Explain to me why Juminny has been totally ghosting me ever since the party!" the furious woman yelled, arms crossed.

Jaehee sighed.

Yes, this was because of Jumin Han and solely him.


	4. I Quit

Jaehee Kang stood there, just staring at Sarah as she barked repeatedly like a savage animal.

"Um... may I know what you're doing at my house? Or more importantly, how do you even know my address?" she was finally able to ask, glancing around in case this was actually some scheme to get her kidnapped.

Thankfully (or not) Sarah was really the only person around.

"Ugh!" the pink-haired woman hissed, whipping her long locks as she stomped towards her. "Call Jumin for me! I want to talk to him myself!"

"I see you're avoiding my question..."

"Why has Jumin been ignoring me since yesterday?!" Sarah Choi demanded, pointing at Jaehee. "He's been leaving my messages on read! Hell, I bet he blocked me!"

Oh, so that's what it was about.

"You see, Sarah..." Jaehee began to explain blankly, putting her hands together for emphasis. "You've already fulfilled your purpose to the company, so... You're no longer useful." she explained, trying to soften the fact as much as she could.

"Thus... please don't expect another text from Mr. Han. Please."

Sarah just glared at her intently before her frown turned into full on shock.

"Whaaaat?!"

"I apolo-"

"You damn secretary! You're lying, rigth?! You want him all for yourself, right?!" the mad woman in front of Jaehee yelled, almost exploding from anger.

Jaehee couldn't help but sigh sorrowfully.

But inside her something finally went off. She was tired of Sarah Choi. She shouldn't have to deal with such an immature and negligent woman like this.

"Listen up here, Sarah. Don't you dare speak to me like that again. I'm older than you, remember?" Jaehee stated firmly, turning her gaze towards the young woman with a scary glint in her eyes, so that even Sarah flinched in fear.

"H-huh, I-"

"And I find it personally offensive how you're so damn persistent about being disrespectful. I could kick you out of my place right now." she threatened the now scared girl, who slowly started backing away when Jaehee's hands rolled up into fists.

Jaehee just stood in her place, glaring down at her. "If you want to discuss about Mr. Han, either tone down your attitude or go home." She made her last words clear before walking steadily past her and unlocking and opening her apartment door.

Sarah stood behind her, trembling and fidgeting with the edge of her purple skirt, obviously conflicted.

"I-I'm sorry, miss Kang... Can I please speak to you now?" she mumbled, but tried to make it loud enough so she didn't have to repeat herself.

Jaehee stared at her for a minute before stepping aside as if to let her in. "Alright. Let's talk."

* * *

Very unexpectedly, soon Sarah was acting like a completely different person. She smiled at Jaehee and chuckled along with her, never looking at her in the eye.

"Ah, I understand... So Jumin is that kind of man, huh?" she said softly as her eyes went down with inevitable sadness.

Jaehee found it easier to explain it to her. "Yes... But you shouldn't cry over it, believe me. I'm sure your life is heading a good direction, Sarah."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. Just because Mr. Han isn't interested in dating, doesn't mean you won't eventually find love... You'll get bigger opportunities if you keep improving yourself." Jaehee declared, comforting her as they both sat on the couch at her living room.

"Well... I see... Thanks for saying that, Jaehee-" She quickly interrupted herself, nervous Jaehee might get offended again. "Can I call you that?"

After a while, she decided to nod. "Yeah. It's okay."

Sarah sighed with relief. "I'll get going now. Thanks for everything, Unnie! Bye!"

"Goodbye."

Then, Sarah left and closed the door behind her.

Jaehee also sighed with relief that her problem was gone. She let herself melt on the couch, trying to rest a little when she suddenly got a call.

The distinct ringtone let her know it was Jumin before checking. She picked it up, groggily.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Assistant Kang?"

"Yes, Mr. Han?" She couldn't help but rub her eyes. She was seriously tired.

"Father left us another project again. I need you to come here right now. And after that we can begin on that other cat project I talked to you about."

Jaehee couldn't help but groan out loud when she heard the word "cat".

"Assistant Kang? Are you fine?"

"Um, yes, it's just... Look at the hour, Mr. Han. It's 9:40 P.M."

"Yes? You've come later before."

"Indeed, I have. But are we seriously going to work on a cat project when we're already so busy, Mr. Han? I can find a lot of issues with that." Jaehee rubbed her temples, feeling the stress filing up.

"I don't find it a problem. I think we can manage, and if you come here we can discuss it further, so please be on your way." Jumin responded, nonchalant.

Jaehee's gaze went upwards, towards the ceiling. She didn't want to work right now. She just wanted to sleep. To sleep just for three hours. That was all she was asking for... But even that seemed far fetched right now.

And so as she was, tired, her mind wandered off.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mr. Han..." she blurted.

"...Excuse me?" Jumin asked with confusion.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mr. Han. I've been working for you for nearly three years now and it's not taking me anywhere. I think it's about time..."

The other line went deadly silent but she continued.

"...I think it's about time I quit. And find a job that I'm passio-"

"What? Assistant Kang. Just say it ain't so."

Jaehee blinked, surprised at her boss's words.

"It ain't so? Mr. Han, what have I told you about using urban vocabulary?"

"Just tell me you're joking, Assistant Kang."

The woman with short, brown hair and glasses glanced down at the phone, as if he could see her. "I'm serious, Mr. Han."

Then he went completely silent again, worrying Jaehee.

"Mr. Han?!"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Oh... He hung up."

Almost immediately, her phone buzzed again, and when she checked out what was happening, Jumin had sent her a text.

"See me at my office tomorrow."

Jaehee couldn't help but sweat intensely at the statement.


	5. Jumin's Condition

Meanwhile, back at his penthouse, Jumin was seriously struggling to find oxygen to keep his lungs working.

What Jaehee just said had shook him to the core.

She wanted to quit? Quit being his assistant? God knew all wrong things would happen if such an atrocity occurred...

"Mr. Han? Mister—" Driver Kim stopped himself with strong concern when his boss's statuesque face went deadly pale and he nearly fainted in front of the entrance of his house.

"A-are you okay, sir?" the chauffeur asked worriedly as Jumin managed to get back on his feet before resolving to rubbing his temples with clear stress.

Jumin Han didn't say a word; he nodded slightly at the elderly man and opened the door as he walked inside silently.

After the door was shut behind him, he felt his head was about to explode.

* * *

The next day, Jaehee was a bit nervous over her awaiting encounter with Jumin after the decision she rashly made last night.

She wasn't sure if she regretted it, and that worried her a lot.

Now that she had basically quit, where else would she work to sustain herself? After all, food didn't put itself on the table...

All she knew for sure was that she needed a change in her life, and that change was coming soon.

She opened the door that lead to Jumin's wide, elegant office and she found said man sitting on his black leather chair as usual, but this time...

There was something clearly different about the way he stared at her. His eyes seemed greatly confused, almost sad even, and it took Jaehee by surprise.

"Hm, Mr. Han, are you okay?" she questioned with sincere worry, a sweatbead dropping down her cheek.

The raven-haired man stayed silent, as he kept examining her with watchful silver eyes. She didn't seem any distinct from any other day, but their situation definitely said otherwise. "Assistant Kang... So you've made your decision?"

Jaehee took a deep breath before nodding awkwardly. "Yes... I've realised it's for the best I go, Mr. Han," she answered with a frown pleading him to understand her circumstances.

Jumin closed his eyes for a second before opening them again; seeming to have recovered their intensity. "Why? I just can't understand, Assistant Kang," he told her, feeling bewildered. "Why do you wish to leave the company?"

Jaehee slowly opened her mouth to respond, "Well—"

But Jumin still wasn't finished. "You get a high, stable salary every month, and you've achieved a pristine reputation in C&R. You're an extremely efficient worker, a completely trustworthy person, a... Member of the RFA." He finished, feeling his voice suddenly breaking for a second.

"Mr. Han..." Jaehee muttered, saddened when she thought of her close friends inside the organization. Wouldn't she be able to speak with them anymore if she wasn't Jumin's secretary now?

She couldn't imagine Luciel simply denying her access.

"What is it that dissatisfies you?" the black-haired man asked her with clear emotion in his deep voice, as he leant forward so his face was closer to Jaehee's.

The brown-haired woman inhaled air again; her heart began to feel heavier by the minute somehow. "I... Mr. Han, I'm thankful for everything. Every opportunity you gave me ever since the time you hired me, even when I had near to no experience in this field to begin with, you still gave me a chance and I..."

"I'm grateful," she concluded truthfully, straightening up on the chair in front of Jumin's desk she was occupying.

Jumin's eyes widened slightly at her statement and something inside him stirred unusually at the way Jaehee firmly gazed at him with a small smile. A quite bittersweet one.

"I'm not sure I can express just exactly why I'm quitting... I just know my life isn't going anywhere this way," Jaehee kept speaking, opening up to her superior leniently. "I want to change. To become someone different, Mr. Han. I won't achieve it if I keep this job."

Jumin didn't respond for a minute before talking again, "But what is wrong with this Assistant Kang?" he questioned, still completely unaware of what Jaehee meant. "Why do you wish to become somebody else when you're fine right now?"

The woman of short hair couldn't help but glance downwards hesitantly before locking eyes with Jumin again. "I want to find what I'm truly passionate about, and someone to share it with me," she stated firmly.

Something finally clicked inside Jumin's brain. "What...? You..." he became silent for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "You wish to find a dream job and get married, right?"

Jaehee was actually surprised that Jumin Han of all people had been able to read her emotions when he himself was always so stoic. "Y-yes... That's what I want, Mr. Han."

The Ceo-in-line couldn't help but scoff. "I thought you didn't believe in such fragile and fleeting feelings as love, Assistant Kang," he told her as he leant back on his chair.

Even though now he knew what her thoughts were, he still wasn't able to comprehend them.

Jaehee glanced sideways at the comment. "I also thought so," she admitted inside her mind, "But I was proved wrong."

"People change. I brought my resignation letter with me, Mr. Han." She shifted the subject swiftly while accommodating the papers she carried in her hands and pushing the envelope forward over the crystal desk.

That's when Jumin knew he wouldn't let this happen.

"You may go," the man said, closing his eyes gently as he heaved a short sigh.

"Yes—"

"But only after you train a new intern to take your place."

"What?!"


	6. Won't Let You Go

"What?!" Jaehee basically screeched at her boss's statement. What was going on?!

Jumin opened his grey-colored eyes and looked at her again, a triumphant smirk decorating his face. "Indeed, it's written in your contract." He revealed the cursed piece of paper for her to see.

Jaehee almost snatched the contract from Jumin's hand as she located the words he had affirmed she agreed to. She wasn't able to find them anywhere until she stared firmly at the extremely tiny letters written at the very bottom.

"If I, Jaehee Kang, decide to resign my job as C&R International's Chief Assistant, my final duty will be training a new intern to take my place instead in a very correct manner."

"..." The brown-haired young woman was officially speechless.

"Always check for the small letters, Assistant Kang," Jumin adviced her smoothly, interwining his fingers together.

Jaehee still couldn't bring herself to speak. Her conflicted gaze shifted from the paper to the Ceo-in-line's content face and she could practically feel her blood boil.

"You're always prepared, aren't you, Mr. Han?" she asked with a clear passive-aggressive tone.

Jumin nodded, oblivious to her actual intentions.

Jaehee took off her glasses with a sigh, grabbing a napkin from her pocket so she could distract herself cleaning them. "...Fine. I suppose I have no choice."

"Great. Training an intern properly, especially for such a high position as yours, takes at least around four months," he told her, pushing back his seat and getting up before adjusting his suit.

"So you'll have plenty of time to reconsider your resignation, Jaehee." He smiled sincerely at her while somehow casually calling her by her first name.

Said woman was actually surprised at the feat, but brushed it off with another sigh. "So, when will I begin the training?" she inquired.

"As soon as anyone comes for an interview, of course."

"At least I know that won't take too long..." Jaehee reassured herself, knowing most women would kill to become Jumin Han's personal assistant.

* * *

Some time later, Jumin found himself having a causal lunch with none other than Seven himself at a nice restaurant he frecuented.

"Soooo will you tell me why you forced me here?" the red-haired 22-year old man asked with a sly grin as usual.

"I mean, the food's good and all, but it isn't really like Mr. Han to invite his best bud Luciel to dinner!" Seven continued, cheerfully digging in onto a piece of steak.

"Seven..." Jumin started, ignoring all the words he had spouted so far. "Did you know Assistant Kang plans to quit?"

"Eh?! Really?" Luciel spat out his soda with astonishment, causing Jumin to glare at him with irritation which Luciel didn't mind. "Wow...! Sucks to be you."

Jumin's glare intensified at the discomforting sentence.

"I mean," Seven corrected himself, "I feel bad for you, Jumin, but I'm glad for Jaehee."

"And why is that?"

"Well, duh!" The red-head rolled his eyes at the obvious. "Jaehee deserves so much better than being your overworked slave for the rest of her capital-driven life!"

The tall man of raven hair raised an eyebrow at his incoherent words. Assistant Kang wasn't a slave. She was merely an excellent worker.

"You may not see it cuz you're blind as heck unless it comes to Elly but!" Luciel raised a sharp finger for emphasis. "Jaehee obviously won't get what she actually needs unless she leaves you!"

"That still doesn't make any sense to me," Jumin admitted, shaking his head slightly. "Why wouldn't she get what she wants with me?"

Seven suddenly became silent for a complete minute straight, filled with shock.

"What—"

"Do you know what you just said, Mr. Trust Fund Kid?!" He loudly banged the table as he got up with clear bewilderment. "Do you know what you just said?!"

"...Yes. I believe I do." Jumin glanced away awkwardly at the scene Luciel was shamelessly causing right now, making literally everyone stare their direction.

He would so never invite Luciel to brunch again.

"Do you even know what Jaehee wants?!"

"Of course I do. She explained it to me just this morning..." The silver-eyed man sighed in response. "She wants to find a 'dream job' and 'get married'. It's quite foolish to wish for such unstable things if you ask me."

"Jumin Han! You stupid genius!" Luciel bellowed with a suspicious glint in his lenses.

"Will you please refrain from yelling...?" Jumin pleaded as he rubbed his temples with slight embarrassment; he was already used to Seven anyway.

"If what Jaehee wants is to get married, you're basically saying you'd marry her to stop her from leaving," Seven finally explained blankly.

Jumin's eyes widened like plates in response.

Marry Jaehee? Him marrying Jaehee so she wouldn't quit?!

What a ridiculous—

Actually... It wasn't such a ridiculous idea.

"Hmm... " The Executive Director hummed after a while of consideration. "It could work."

"Huh?!" Luciel's glasses almost broke from utter shock. He was actually considering it?!

707 had just been messing with him...! He hadn't expected Jumin to actually listen!

"Alright..." Jumin concluded, closing his eyes while in deep thought. "I'll ask Assistant Kang if she wishes to marry me as soon as I spot her again. Maybe that'll make her change her mind."

"What— Ju— Jumin—" Seven kept stumbling over his words, unable to formulate a correct sentence.

"Thank you for your time, Seven. I'll be leaving now," the Ceo-in-line informed him before getting up and walking away, too distracted to actually pay for the restaurant (or eating anything for that matter) before marching out.

Meanwhile, Seven was too astounded to actually notice when the waiter brought him the extremely expensive check and demanded for him to pay.

Jumin Han is gonna ask Jaehee Kang to marry him?!

...This is gonna be good.


	7. Will You Marry Me?

On another side of town, Jaehee Kang was rushing quickly to reach an interview she had scheduled in the afternoon as an office worker to a rival company of the one she was currently (forced) to work in.

She decided that since she still wasn't exactly sure on what her "dream job" meant to her wholeheartedly, she first had to get a taste of all kind of different jobs until she figured it out.

And this was a decent start.

During her haste, she was able to stop by a local coffee shop and get her favorite taste in the world: a nice cappuccino.

She allowed herself to sigh blissfully before quickly finishing the wonderful drink and tossing the cup in a trashcan just next to de building she had an appointment with.

"Good..." She smiled softly, satisfied. "I managed to arrive on time."

..

**[ZEN has entered the chatroom]**

**ZEN:** It's always nice to get a new role after a good practice! ^^

 **ZEN:** Guess who's playing Romeo for a Shakespeare play next month?~

**[Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom]**

**Jaehee:** As always, I'm truly happy for you, Zen! ^^ You deserve it completely...

 **Jaehee:** I just wish I had the same luck...

 **ZEN:** Eh? Something wrong, Jaehee?

 **Jaehee:** I'm fine, it's just... Um, I wasn't able to get the job for the company I requested.

 **Jaehee:** They said I didn't qualify their standards...

 **ZEN:** What???

 **ZEN:** How could you not meet anybody's standards?! You're Jaehee Kang, for Pete's sake!

 **Jaehee:** They said my resume was too long and complicated... Not to mention, I think they immediately disqualified me as soon as they discovered I worked at C&R...

 **ZEN:** Wait wait wait wait

 **ZEN:** Why are you even looking for a job anyways???

 **ZEN:** You already work for the cat jerk??

 **Jaehee:** Well... You see...

 **Jaehee:** I'm quitting my job as Mr. Han's assistant.

 **ZEN:** .........

 **ZEN:** My prayers have been answered!!!

 **ZEN:** Words cannot describe how happy I am for you Jaehee!! You made a good decision.

 **Jaehee:** Haha well... There were various factors that inspired me to finally make a decision. It's been on my mind for a while.

 **ZEN:** Just remember we support you no matter what!

 **Jaehee:** ...Thank you. I seriously appreciate it, but...

 **ZEN:** But??

 **Jaehee:** I'll still have to work for Mr. Han for at least four more months.

 **ZEN:** WHAT!

 **ZEN:** But you quit...!

 **Jaehee:** Mr. Han wants me to train a new intern to replace me as assistant before leaving...

 **ZEN:** That damn jerk!!

 **ZEN:** Of course he'd do something like that!

 **Jaehee:** I can't complain since it was actually written in my contract, I just never realized.

 **ZEN:** Don't worry, Jaehee! Just get that thing with the intern done and that jerk can't do anything to hold you back anymore!

 **ZEN:** You'll finally be free!

 **Jaehee:** ...

 **Jaehee:** I hope so..

Jaehee sent the last text feeling a tinge of doubt. It would be a long time before she could actually consider "freedom from Jumin Han" again.

For now, she should probably concentrate on her especially assigned task of finding a good new assistant for her boss.

She'd have to begin working on it soon enough.

It was early in the evening when the short-haired woman finally arrived to her apartment.

The sky was already dark, not to mention cloudless, and a few stars were twinkling prettily over her head. She tried to admire the view to cheer herself up at least a little.

But after shifting her honey-eyed gaze from the skies to the path in front of her, she couldn't help but gasp.

"M-mr. Han?!" She stuttered in surprise at seeing the tall, raven-haired man standing right in front of her apartment complex.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned, approaching him.

The man cleared his throat quietly before walking closer towards Jaehee, nonchalant as usual.

Jaehee was even more puzzled when he didn't stop until their bodies were less than two steps apart. "I wish to make a one-time offer to you..."

"Huh?" Jaehee tilted her head to the side in confusion at Jumin's strange words.

Jumin took a deep breath again. This was something easy to do. Jaehee was extremely likely to say yes after all, he was one of the most eligible bachelors in all of Korea.

"Will you marry me?" he inquired, just as deadpan as was normal of him.

"..." Indeed, Jaehee couldn't find words to speak in response.

"Pardon?" Was all she was able to utter, head spinning to the point she suspected she was having an hallucination.

"Marry me, Assistant Kang," Jumin repeated, thinking she hadn't heard him the first time.

"..."

Were her ears tricking her? That's the only possible reason she could hear Jumin Han suddenly asking for her hand in marriage out of the complete frigging blue.

But when she kept staring at him with probably the most shocked face she had used in her whole life, she realized that he was serious.

Serious about their "marriage".

He kept staring back at her, almost awkwardly, as if expecting Jaehee to say something coherent of the sort.

Looking at his reaction, something inside Jaehee went off and she immediately burst out laughing, leaving an oblivious Jumin perplexed.


	8. No.

Jumin bemusedly watched Jaehee nearly die from laughter for some very long minutes before the young woman straightened up again, trying to regain her composure.

"Mr. Han..." Jaehee pulled her glasses back up when they began to slip down her nose from her previous outburst. "You can't possibly be serious..."

Jumin blinked in response; not comprehending why Jaehee wouldn't even take his good offer into consideration. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The brunette couldn't help but gasp surpisedly again. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, realising he wasn't joking.

"Why are you even asking me to marry you, Mr. Han?!" the woman questioned, brown eyes narrowing.

Jumin raised an eyebrow. "Well, you stated you wished to get married, Assistant Kang. I just wanted to help you fulfill your goal," he told her simply.

"That's not how it works!" Jaehee raised her hands over her head with exasperation. "You get married out of love! It's not some kind of business deal!"

For being such a naturally logical and intelligent person, Jumin Han certainly got the short end of the stick when it came to feelings and relationships...

Jumin glanced away guiltily. He had supposed Jaehee would be content with his offer and likely decide to stay with him at the company as a result.

It seemed reasonable to him.

Jaehee heaved out a sigh before turning around and deciding to just go inside her apartment and pretend none of this ever happened.

But then Jumin spoke up again.

"Then perhaps..."

Jaehee turned to face him, giving him a confused look. What else could he likely spout after saying such a ridiculous thing just seconds ago?

"Perhaps you could fall in love with me." He finished, deadpan as normal, looking at her with a sincere glint in his eyes.

The Chief Assistant was speechless for the fourth time this week. Just what drug was Jumin on? Catnip?

Maybe he was drunk...

"M-mr. Han..." she uttered his name quietly, almost like a mumble. "I think you should go home."

"What? But—"

"Please go home," she repeated, this time more firmly. "It isn't good for you to walk around by yourself when you're drunk..." she explained, genuinely worried.

Jumin's silver eyes widened at the false accusation, feeling the need to defend himself; but Jaehee waved at him goodbye before he could say anything, going inside her house and closing the door shut.

To make sure he still wasn't standing outside, she rushed towards the window and slid the blinds open, checking positively as Jumin Han got inside his vehicle, already giving directions to Driver Kim.

* * *

**[Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom]**

**Jaehee:** I see no one else is here...

 **Jaehee:** Mr. Han did something extremely strange today.

 **Jaehee:** And what's stranger is that I seriously can't tell if he meant it or not... I hope you explain everything soon, Mr. Han.

**[707 has entered the chatroom]**

**707:** Lololol do you u know what's even stranger, Jaehee??

 **707:** I drank 16 cans of Dr. Pepper today

 **707:** And I wrote a song for you!! Lolol

 **Jaehee:** Why is that not surprising?

 **707:** Wanna hear it???

 **707:** Well you'll just read it cuz it's a chatroom but...!

 **707:** 1!

 **707:** 2!

 **707:** 3!!!

 **707:** She's as cool as nighttime

 **707:** She's as bright as day

 **707:** When she looks in your eyes

 **707:** She takes your

 **707:** BREATH AWAYY

 **707:** She could move a mountain

 **707:** Make a fire start

 **707:** On a smaller scale

 **707:** She could  
  
**707:** BREAK.  
  
**707:** YOUR.

 **707:** HEART!

 **707:** ♡

 **707:** She's a lady~  
  
**707:** A super lady~

 **707:** She looks like an angel

 **707:** She's sent from above

 **Jaehee:** ????

 **707:** She's a lady~

 **707:** A pretty lady~

 **707:** And with this kitten  
  
**707:** I'm smitten

 **Jaehee:** Are you still talking about me...?

 **707:** I'm bitten by the bug they call love

 **707:** And this lady will be miinnneeee

 **707:** Lady be mine ohohohhh

**[Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom]**

* * *

"Freaking Luciel..." Jaehee muttered under her breath while exiting the messenger, not wanting to deal with Seven right now.

After sighing tiredly, she resolved to launching herself at her fluffy bed, wanting to erase all the stress that had piled up after this incredibly exhausting day.

She planned on staying right on the spot and falling asleep for the rest of the night, but her phone began ringing.

Groaning slightly, Jaehee extended her arm without getting up, managing to grab the small object and picking up the call.

"Hello?"

"Jaehee! It's me." Yoosung's familiar voice boomed from the other end.

"Yoosung?" Jaehee rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself more.

"Yeah," the blond college boy answered nonchalantly. "Zen and I arranged a party for you at the fried chicken place we went to the other time!"

"Wait— What?" the 26-year old woman questioned, puzzled. "A party?"

"Because you're moving on from your job with Jumin! We just wanted to give you good luck for the future," Yoosung told her cheerfully.

"Oh... I see. Thanks?"

"So you're coming right? It's thirty minutes from now."

"Well..." Jaehee thought it over and decided to accept. It would be rude not come anyway. "I'll see you there."

"See you!"


	9. So Many Memories

Soon enough, Jaehee found herself sitting inside a casual restaurant alongside her friends and fellow RFA members, Zen and Yoosung.

She had to admit it was pretty exciting dining with no other than her favorite celebrity in person, but she knew things between them weren't like that.

Even if it hurt a little whenever she said it.

"Cheers!" the group concluded with a toast, clinking their beer glasses together animatedly.

Yoosung chuckled. "For a better life, Jaehee!" He smiled to the woman; who was wearing a black top and a white button-up skirt, knee-high socks and sneakers, putting her unnecessary lenses aside for once.

Jaehee couldn't help but laugh softly as well, feeling herself slowly cheer up from her very hard day. "Hopefully..."

The pale-haired man and the amethyst-eyed boy glanced at each other with smiles, feeling good over the fact Jaehee seemed happy about everything.

"I have to thank you again for planning this for me, seriously, I'm very grateful," Jaehee told them, holding onto her vase respectfully. "You didn't have to..."

"We wanted to," Zen retorted, friendly as always (as long as Jumin wasn't involved). "You deserve it after all your hard work."

"Aren't your co-workers preparing a goodbye party for you, too?" Yoosung inquired curiously, taking a sip from his drink.

"Well... I'm not sure about that." Jaehee scratched her cheek nervously. "We were never too close."

"Why is that?" the rising actor questioned this time, tilting his head slightly.

"Hm..." She looked downwards, clearly not knowing exactly how to answer. "I was always much too busy with work to be able to interact properly with any of them..."

"Wow!" Yoosung exclaimed, genuinely surprised. "Three whole years and during all that time you never made a single friend...!"

The brown-haired woman gulped, feeling cornered.

"Let me guess, the Trustfund Kid didn't let you talk to anybody?" Zen growled, getting irritated by the mere mention of him.

"Well, I don't blame it on Mr. Han..." Jaehee admitted, gazing sideways. "But both our schedules were way too occupied to make friends... Except for the RFA, of course." She smiled warmly at the thought: they were really her family.

"It's Jumin being possessive of Jaehee as usual!" Yoosung accused, setting both his hands firmly on the table. "It's not such a dumb idea, is it?!"

"Yoosung!" Jaehee reproached him, narrowing her eyes exasperatedly as she did whenever she was annoyed. "I told you Mr. Han isn't like that."

"Oh, really? Then what's that Seven told me about him proposing to you just 'cause he didn't want you to leave his side!" the college student retorted, sending a sharp gaze at Jaehee's shocked face.

"How did he know that?!" she questioned inside her head, truly speechless. Luciel really was something else.

"Wait, wait, wait a second there!" Zen's silver ponytail flew in the air as he suddenly got up from his chair, astonished and angry. "The Trustfund Kid did what?!"

Both men turned their intense stares at Jaehee, who basically shrinked under their upset eyes.

"He... Proposed to me..." she confirmed quietly, barely able to believe the words herself.

At that Zen's hair stood up with a cold shiver and he saw red. "That cursed jerk! What was he even thinking...!" he yelled at nobody in particular.

"Did he even kneel or give you a ring?!" Yoosung asked, suddenly curious of the answer: imagining Jumin going all romantic for Jaehee all of the sudden seemed unreal.

"No... It was definitely more like proposing a business deal," she responded, not sure of how to feel about anything anymore.

Since any anger she had over the incident was already being displayed by her two overprotective friends.

* * *

Afterwards, the woman of short hair and honey-colored eyes made her way back home, gladly finding no Jumin Han standing around like last time.

It was actually strange, that on her very rare day off, Jumin hadn't called at any moment. Not after or before the marriage proposal.

It seemed suspicious to her, as if suddenly all the secretary work was being taken care of by itself...

Or Jumin was too distracted with something else.

Before, she would have quickly assumed that "something" to be his beloved cat, Elizabeth the Third.

But now...

Yoosung's words didn't look so dumb after all.

She mindlessly opened the doorknob to her apartment, head in the clouds. She slowly walked over towards her bedroom, plopping on her bed once again.

Only this time, Jaehee felt her hands not wanting to rest beside her, but to search through the cabinet that stood next to her bedside table.

She pulled open the small door, checking inside for any old documents she might find from work.

Many of them were disorganized, due mostly to her lack of time to organize them in the first place. And under all of the C&R papers, Jaehee found something that actually interested her.

Her childhood sketchbook.

She remembered the notebook full of colorful drawings from way before...

Way before her parents died.

She frowned at the grim memory, wanting to remember the good ones instead, like this one.

Jaehee's fingers went through it quickly, reminiscing about each time she drew her mom or the family cat that they used to own, but passed away when she was around four.

She smiled bittersweetly at a comparison of her old cat and Elizabeth the third: both were very different, though.

Then... She saw something she couldn't recognize.

A young boy, a little bit taller than her, standing next to her long-haired child self.

They were holding hands and had wide smiles on their faces, as all her drawings, but this time... It seemed more special, more real, somehow.

But also stranger: who was this kid? She couldn't exactly remember having a friend like that.

Then again, it had been a long time...


	10. The New Intern

A cheerful, twenty something woman strode happily through the street, the bright sun of a new morning gleaming over her head and everyone else's generously.

She wondered what she should do that day; maybe hang out with some of her friends later or go eat something at some nice cafe.

But when she turned her head to the side, her eyes met with a wide, elegant-looking poster.

"The C&R International Company is currently seeking for a candidate of the Chief Assistant position. Please contact us if you are interested."

"Huh?" The carefree girl of long bangs and straight sepia hair tilted her head to the side. Well, now she knew what'd she'd be doing for the day.

* * *

Meanwhile on her own side of the story, pop sensation Echo Girl had the same wonderful idea to show up at the company building, just to have a chance with the Ceo-in-line, Jumin Han.

After he laid his eyes on her, there was no way in this world he wouldn't contract her in a heartbeat!

And then, she would get to have her own, perfectly beautiful love tale with a corporate heir-

"I'm sorry, miss. But you don't seem to have the requirements for the position." She was forcefully snapped out of her thoughts when the man behind the front desk gave her a depreciative look and signaled her to the exit.

Needless to say, Echo Girl was outraged.

"What?!" she hissed, her previously lovey-dovey eyes turning into a murderous glare. "What are you talking about?!"

"You don't even have a resume, miss," the employee responded, not able to care less, and shifting back to his paperwork; his eyes glued to the computer.

"Well," she said with a huff, "Who cares about resumes and all that stuff when you have me standing right in front of your super lame office!"

The annoyed employee was about retort something when, just oportunely, another girl arrived, smiling slightly but also looking a bit confused.

"Um, hello," she greeted politely, "I've come for the assistant job..."

The man who served as a mediator between Echo Girl and her goal of "conquesting" Jumin smiled back, waving his hand for her to come closer to the desk. "Hello, may I take a hold of your resume, miss?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," the brunette woman agreed, quickly pulling the papers out of her purse and handing them to him.

"Mi-Cha Park, I see..." the employee's smile grew slightly when he pleasantly noticed the fact said girl's work history was actually quite long and respectable.

"Most call me MC." She chuckled jokingly, giving the man a handshake, which he returned.

On the other hand, Echo Girl definitely wasn't pleased as she shockedly stared at the two people, most specifically at her rival who was actually close to "stealing" her job with a wave of her finger.

Her gawking was interrupted when she heard the employee utter the doomed words she most feared.

"Please follow me as I direct you to Mr. Han's office for an interview, miss Park," he signaled to her, getting up from his chair and walking ahead; MC following enthusiastically.

"Eh?!" the blue-eyed hysterical woman yelled, extremely enfuriated by the clear rejection. "How dare you!" She got in front of both of them and aggressively pointed a sharp finger at the poor employee.

"I could sue your whole damn company right now-"

"Um, did I arrive at a bad moment?" Jaehee Kang timidly questioned, not sure of whatever kind of nonsense was currently going on in front of her eyes.

"Yes! This guy is discriminating me!" she accused, still pointing at the now panicking worker.

"Just 'cause I'm a successful, beautiful pop star, he wants to kick me out and won't give a chance with Jumin!" Echo Girl whined, pouting childishly.

"Pardon?" Jaehee tilted her head to the side in pure puzzlement, still getting no idea of what was happening.

"Please don't mind us, miss Kang..." the employee urged her with greatly irritated eyes. "Mr. Han is waiting for you at his office," he informed her, before walking right past Echo Girl and calling security.

"What? What?!" the woman exclaimed louder and louder every sentence, her indignation growing as well. "Y-you can't do this...! I'm Echo Girl-"

Her voice ironically echoed outside the building as she was dragged by the the security men, until her bodyguards put a stop to it and forced her back to the her limousine while she threw a tantrum.

The now relieved employee sighed, throwing an apologetic glance at Jaehee, and directing MC towards Jumin again.

Jaehee went her own way, patiently waiting for the elevator to come down and take her to her boss's studio.

* * *

"The advice you gave me didn't work," Jumin growled to the person on the other side of the line, gripping his phone tightly and pinching the bridge of his nose, searching for the patience to not kill someone.

"Whaaaat? Really?" Seven responded with an elongated, dramatic gasp.

"Not in the minuminum," the black-haired man affirmed, obviously enfuriated. "Explain yourself," he demanded right afterwards.

"Hey, hey," Luciel attempted to calm him down, knowing an angry Jumin was always bad news. "Did you even propose to her correctly?!" the redhead exclaimed in accusation.

"Of course I did," Jumin snapped, feeling even more offended. "I showed up at her house and asked her to marry me..."

"And?" At Jumin's sudden silence, Seven amusedly urged him to finish his sentence.

"She... Just laughed at my face," the Trustfund Kid was finally able to conclude, clearly embarrassed, though his tight voice wouldn't let it show.

At this statement, Luciel couldn't help but explode with wheezing laughter, soon falling on the floor and grabbing his stomach as it began to hurt from the giggles.

Seeing that Luciel wasn't planning on stopping any time soon, Jumin's glare deepened. "If you keep mocking me, I will steal one of your cars and burn it," he threatened in all seriousness, using Seven's weakness without mercy.

"No...!" He immediately stopped, crying in agony instead. "My baby...!"

Just in that moment, Jaehee happened to walk into the office, having already knocked around four times before, but her boss was too occupied chastising Seven to notice. He surprisedly turned around after hearing her warm, melodious voice behind him call his name.

"Mr. Han? Are you okay?" the petite woman asked unsurely, peeking her head from the other side of the door.

Jumin coughed, an embarrassed blush suddenly covering his face as his eyes became wide at the sight of the person he was just speaking of right in front of him. "Of course... Welcome, Assistant Kang," he greeted, managing to put on his business mask after recovering from his initial response. "Are you ready for the interview?"

"Yes," she told him with a curt nod, "I finished all the reports, I'm just missing some paperwork of less importance by now..." Jaehee informed the man before her voice gradually trailed off.

She couldn't help but glance away from Jumin's strong gaze, feeling self conscious of what happened between them not too long ago.

For a minute, the two were standing in front of each other, extremely uncomfortable and awkward, while avoiding talking about the subject.

After an excruciating while had went by, Jumin faked a cough into his hand again, clearing his throat.

"Alright. Call the first candidate, then," he ordered quietly, which was very unlike him, as he still avoided her gaze and instead kept his eyes closed.


	11. Let's Start

"So I take your name is Mi-Cha Park?" Jumin formally asked the girl sitting across from him and Jaehee, leaning back slightly on the navy blue sofa while Jaehee sat more stiffly right next to him.

They were surrounded by heavy sunlight coming from the nearby crystal-clear window, which was just as huge and wide as Jumin's grand office.

And somehow Jaehee couldn't help the painful throb inside her chest when the young cheery woman answered. 

"Yes, I'd like to apply for the assistant job!" 

Jumin stared at the long-haired brunette for a while, before stacking the papers that held her resume more neatly. "Very well..." he muttered, clearly unhappy over the whole situation. 

Even though Mi-Cha couldn't notice, Jaehee, who had accompanied him for so many years, definitely could tell from his strained eyes and deep sighs. Jaehee couldn't help but feel somehow worried, since despite everything, she knew more than anyone apart from V, that Jumin had always hated having to search for a new secretary. 

Said man on the other hand, could feel Jaehee's concerned gaze staring at him the whole time, and it was making him feel strangely worse than he already did. He seriously never thought he'd ever have to replace Assistant Kang. 

She was just irreplaceable to him. 

Then he realized he was completely spacing out as Mi-Cha finished mouthing something and he hadn't heard anything at all. "Pardon?" He blinked quickly, asking for a repeat. 

"Um, I said I will give the best of myself everyday and I won't get, er, distracted by stuff," she told him more nervously this time, putting her hands together and pointing forward. 

"Oh? I see…" Jumin was distracted once again as he disappointingly noticed Jaehee wasn't looking at him anymore and instead was talking to Mi-Cha; he was actually surprised when he felt jealousy. 

"I believe that's what's most important about this job," the short-haired woman told the candidate with all honesty, "From experience I can tell you that's it's not easy. Not at all." She emphasized, clearly a surge of spite getting to her. 

Jumin flinched at the blatant accusation, automatically wanting to defend himself. "I wouldn't say that it's the job what's difficult, miss Park…" the man said, feigning calmness, "But the people who do the job themselves." 

Jaehee gasped at the jab. "I don't think you should acknowledge what Mr. Han is saying, miss Park," she quickly retorted, showing no mercy. 

"He truly has no idea of what working under an iron fist feels like… he's way too invested into cat projects to sincerely show a care for his employees." She finished with a flowery smile. 

Now it was Jumin's turn to be offended while he and Jaehee continued arguing passive-aggressively in front of poor, confused Mi-Cha; the latter which couldn't possibly tell whether she should say anything at all or just keep staring at the fight. 

Soon enough the boss and assistant had completely forgot about the whole reason they were even doing an interview and both their eyes kept glaring daggers at each other. "Well, the cat projects wouldn't be an issue if only Assistant Kang balanced every other project correctly as well." 

"The problem with that, Mr. Han, is that I'm not a robot who can comply to every single order at any time of the day," Jaehee frustratedly informed Jumin, unconsciously getting much closer to him that she was before. 

"I also need rest, food and sleep just like any human being." 

"I pay you so that you don't." 

"You literally can't pay me to turn off my bodily functions." 

"Is this why you're leaving, Assistant Kang?" Jumin raised an eyebrow at her, their faces standing barely centimeters from each other and neither of them realized or cared. "Because you're letting your weakness overpower your strength?" 

Jaehee's honey-colored eyes widened, taken aback by the boldness. She couldn't help but blink, suddenly glancing the other way. "No… it's not that…" she murmured, only loud enough for him to hear. 

Their intense eyes kept their sights firmly on each other, and just when Jaehee was about to continue, Mi-Cha spoke up. "Um… Should I leave? Is the interview over…?" she questioned, unsure to stay since this seemed very private. 

Finally the two snapped out of it, and turned back to Mi-Cha, almost embarrassed. They were fast to deny her inquiry. 

"No, no, that…" The dashing raven-haired man paused for a second. "That won't be necessary."

Jaehee rapidly shook her head as well, giving her best reassuring smile to Mi-Cha. "Please forgive the interruption. Let's continue the interview." 

Mi-Cha glanced at the skeptically, nearly getting up to exit the room but she resolved on sitting back nervously, somehow feeling she shouldn't be there. 

"You know what?" Jumin sighed, glancing briefly at the candidate and dismissing her with his hand. "You're hired." 

Jaehee's left eye twitched with pure bafflement. _Her_ interview certainly hadn't been this easy! 

"W-what?" she stuttered, unable to speak properly. "Mr. Han—" 

"Really?!" Mi-Cha exclaimed with sheer excitement. This really turned out well! "When do I start!?" she asked enthusiastically. 

"Today. Assistant Kang will bring your uniform," Jumin Han said simply, shocking Jaehee even more. 

"What?! Mister—" 

"Yay!" Mi-Cha couldn't help her cheer. 

"Welcome to C&R International, new intern," her new boss told her, not really seeming very welcoming. 

_"This is going to be the end of me…"_ Jaehee Kang thought dreadfully before locking eyes with a smug-looking Jumin once again.

* * *

"So this is the workplace? It looks nice," Mi-Cha expressed while walking alongside Jaehee as the latter gave her a tour around the office. 

"Yes… It Is quite comfortable," Jaehee agreed with a nod and a small smile. "It's the place I will leave after a few months…" she also reminded herself with a grim look as she redirected her sight forward. 

"Hey, Jaehee— Um, can I call you that?" The long-haired girl asked a bit shyly, but sounding friendly. 

"Of course." The secretary nodded with a smile again.

Mi-Cha chuckled. "You can also call me by my name, anyway."

The two of them laughed softly at her response and kept walking until they reached their respective desks, this time more relaxed.

"This is your seat, while mine is just right next to yours," she explained, sitting down and signalling Mi-Cha to do the same. "This way, you can ask me whenever you have a doubt about work or need help learning something." 

"Alright! Thanks, Jaehee!" Mi-Cha grinned widely, plopping down on her chair cheerfully. 

Jaehee hummed. "You're welcome, this is part of my job, after all." 

Mi-Cha kept smiling at her coworker until her eyes leaned down and set sight on something that clearly caught her attention. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed loudly, taking Jaehee by surprise. "You're a fan of Zen, too!" 

Jaehee gasped, not really understanding how she figured that out until her own eyes looked down and she remembered her mouse pad, which had a huge drawing of the rising celebrity in it. She couldn't help but feel giddy that there was actually someone else who understood how amazing he was! 

"Indeed! You're a fan, too?!" she inquired excitedly, eager to have someone to talk about it with. 

"Yeah! I've been ever since I discovered his musicals!" She sighed dreamily. "Guy's got talent! Not to mention he's so handsome…" she muttered the last part with a blush, making Jaehee laugh in agreement. 

"I've seen all of his musicals. If you want, I can lend some of my DVDs to you," she offered to her with a content smile, before worriedly adding, "But please take good care of them… they're my most priced possession." 

Mi-Cha nodded her head fervently. "Of course! I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to those precious DVDs!" she assured her just as seriously. 

Jaehee sighed in relief. Maybe… maybe she and Mi-Cha could become good friends after all. That'd be wonderful. 

Then to everybody's surprise, Jumin's father, Mr. Chairman, strode inside the room with an indignant expression, seeming unhappy about something in particular. The elderly man angrily asked whether Jumin was in his office or not, and was quickly given directions by some really scared employee. 

Jaehee couldn't help but feel concerned for Jumin as she slowly put her hand to her mouth; an angry Mr. Chairman didn't do anybody favors.

* * *

Jumin flinched when someone basically slammed the door to his study open and he flinched even further when he saw it was his father. 

"Would you mind explaining why Echo Girl of all people is crying so distraughtly at the bottom of our building?! There's at least a dozen cameramen outside taking pictures and making interviews!" The elder Mr. Han yelled, setting down his hand on the table. 

"Echo Girl…?" Jumin questioned, tilting his head slightly. He honestly had no idea of who that was. 

"Yes! The poor girl is ruining her beautiful blue eyes with tears!" his father exclaimed before pulling out a napkin and drying his own surfacing tears of dismay. 

Jumin sighed heavily: this was another of his father's women quirks. He really didn't want to deal with that right now. Or ever.

"Maybe we should try inquiring for the reason of her sadness, father, before we jump to any conclusions," he suggested as logically as he could. 

"Exactly! I want you to go down there, and do whatever she asks you as long as it's in our power." After stating these orders, his father satisfiedly smiled to himself and walked to wherever he was before he stormed the office. 

Jumin heaved a sigh again. Such a troublesome problem. 


	12. Endearment

And so, Jumin Han was forced to go talk with this strange woman his father was referring to. He rubbed his temples, clearly annoyed, before opening the door and stepping out of the room with long, resonant strides.

His assistant immediately came to mind as he walked down the office and he called her loudly enough that she would be able to hear. "Assistant Kang!"

Jaehee's head quickly popped out from behind desks and papers, Mi-Cha next to her. "Mr. Han? Is there something wrong?"

"Accompany me, please," he requested coolly, glancing at her from his side and waiting for her patiently.

"Of course!" Jaehee got up from her chair and went after Jumin, remembering the confused intern and reassuring her, "I'll be back soon, please stay here meanwhile."

Mi-Cha nodded with a forming smile. "Okay. Good luck."

* * *

"So, what's happening?" Jaehee asked while they walked down the hallway as fast but as composed as they could, side by side.

"Echo Girl." Jumin couldn't help but sigh stressfully. "Father wants me to deal with her."

"Echo Girl? Wait-" The petite woman's honey eyes widened in realization. "Wasn't she the delusional girl who got kicked out from the building?"

Jumin turned around with puzzlement. "What did she do?"

"I think she got really angry at the employee who works in the front desk and threatened to sue us..." Jaehee absentmindedly scratched her cheek, as she nervously informed him of the tantrum.

And for some reason, Jumin couldn't help but think her expression was cute. Just her expression. Still, it was somehow impossible for him to stop staring at her.

"Hm, Mr. Han... Are you okay?" Jaehee questioned with a raised eyebrow. That's when Jumin realised his cheeks were burning and his heartbeat had increased somehow.

But luckily for him, Echo Girl just happened to appear right in front of the two with a jumpscare.

"Jumin! You don't know how happy I am to finally see you!" said girl squealed with shiny eyes before going straight for Jumin's arm. "I knew you'd come to my rescue!"

Needless to say, Jumin felt extremely uncomfortable and efficiently shook her off. "Instead of me, thank my father. What is it that you wish from our company?" he asked, rather irritated.

Echo Girl managed to pretend she just hadn't been rejected and smiled smoothly at him. "The position as your personal assistant, Jumin!"

Jaehee flinched at the request, and quickly glanced at Jumin to see what his reaction would be. This girl was clearly a big celebrity that was pretty, confident and very, very rich... compared to her, she wasn't much.

But Jumin didn't care about any of that stuff, and Jaehee sighed in relief. "I apologize, but that position is taken," he told her deadpan.

"Hmph! I'm sure it can be arranged- Hey, who's that woman next to you?" she tilted her head until her eyes met with Jaehee's surprised ones.

"My assistant," Jumin said, getting in between the two and blocking her line of sight.

"Pft!" the long-haired brunette held back a laugh. "What? That girl is better than me?"

"Yes, amazingly better," the tall man quickly responded with no hesitation. Jaehee stared at him in awe, still unbelieving of what he had said with such confidence and affirmation.

Jumin's arms were crossed and his head was leaning forward, as if to tower Echo Girl even more. His raven black hair created an illusion of brown hues because of the sunshine coming out from one of the nearby crystal windows.

How... how was he so effortlessly handsome? And why was she thinking of that of all things?

"How strange..." Jaehee resolved to shaking her head to get rid of the thoughts, as she knew they were something that wouldn't be appreciated.

Suddenly, she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Assistant Kang, let's guide her to the office," he said softly, making Jaehee even more confused.

"The office?"

"Weren't you listening to our conversation just now?" He blinked in sincere bemusement, tilting his head to the side a little (which looked quite endearing, Jaehee had to admit).

She had to shyly shake her head as a no, embarrassed she had gotten distracted.

"We came to an agreement that Ms. Choi would work here as a normal employee..." Jumin muttered sounding defeated and a bit resentful.

"Huh?!" Oh, great. More interns. And this one didn't seem to like her in the least...

* * *

Echo Girl, or Ms. Choi as both Jumin and Jaehee resorted to calling her, jumped up and down in excitement. Even though she didn't get the assistant position, this was still quite decent!

And to make it better she was sure Mr. Chairman, a.k.a Jumin's dad, would do anything to keep her happy, and that included matchmaking his son with her. She chuckled malevolently while rubbing her hands together.

Kyungju Choi just needed a good plan.

"I'll tour you around the office," Jaehee told her with a wavering smile, trying to sound as friendly as she could.

Seeing that Kyungju just stared at her without a response, she complied, nodding at her to follow. Then she heard Jumin sound really worried.

"Excuse me?" he uttered in a dangerously low voice as he spoke to the phone he was holding in his left hand. "Father... You can't be serious..."

Echo Girl immediately forgotten, Jaehee timidly approached Jumin, slowly reaching out her hand for him. "Hm, Mr. Han?"

"Huh?" Jumin's anxious silver eyes shifted from the floor to Jaehee; and his shoulders visibly relaxed.

He kept his gaze on hers for a second before going back to attempting to reason with his unreasonable father. "I... We can finish discussing these matters more privately. Goodbye." He hung up.

Then, he marched down the room seeming quite conflicted, passing by both women in a whoosh.

"Wait!" Jaehee couldn't help but cry out, her raised hand moved by itself and, before she could stop it, was holding tightly into Jumin's arm.

Both people were astonished at her bold move, but also speechless as they stared at their linked hands.

"M-mr. Han-" Jaehee stuttered, whole face brightening. She took a deep breath to compose herself from the blushing mess she had become. "I'll go with you," she stated firmly, not accepting a no for an answer.

Jumin was still staring, but he wasn't angry. Or disappointed. Or any other more likely response Jaehee had expected. Instead, he was thankful. He was looking at her with sincerely pleading eyes.

He was vulnerable, and that was something extremely rare for Jumin Han to show. After all, everyone thought he was an emotionless shell. But she knew he was more than that.

And she wanted to help him.

Jumin turned around, and kept walking forward, still taking a hold of Jaehee's tiny hand as he gently but steadily lead her out of the office.

If looks could kill, the one Kyungju threw at Jaehee would have been deadly.


	13. Loose Threads

Jaehee didn't really know what she got herself into. 

She usually wasn't the kind of person to act purely on impulse… No, she was the complete opposite. She calculated, recalculated, considered, worried—

But for some reason that didn't happen today.

All of the sudden she found herself standing right in front of an extremely luxurious mansion; and it wasn't even Jumin's penthouse. 

This place… seemed so disconnected from the rest of the world. So intimidating. And apparently it had the same effect on Jumin next to her, who unconsciously squeezed her hand slightly as he hesitantly reached out for the golden doorbell and rang it. 

Silently, the two stared at the door of red wood while quickened footsteps could be heard in the background. The quietness was broken as the door was no longer closed shut. 

"Jumin," Mr. Chairman acknowledged him with a nod after his many bodyguards stood aside for father and son to make eye contact. 

"We need to talk," Jumin quickly noted, sounding concerned. 

Mr. Chairman gave him a cocked smirk. "Of course we will, son. Come upstairs to the dining room and you'll get your wish." 

The raven-haired man couldn't help but deepen his frown, a growl almost escaping from his lips. "That is exactly what I want to avoid—" 

"Jumin..." Jaehee flinched at the new, feminine but mature voice that quietly called out her boss's name. When she was able to discover who the person was, it turned out to be an extremely beautiful woman; clearly around Mr. Chairman's age noting the creases on the corners of her eyes. 

Her skin was pale and her hair cascaded down on raven black waves that reached her shoulders; as a whole she styled very elegantly and sophisticatedly. Her eyes were really sharp-looking, which really reminded Jaehee of someone… 

Jumin stared at the woman in front of them with clear conflict. His silver eyes widened greatly before narrowing again and he uttered a soft reply, "Mother…" 

"What the he—" Jaehee (luckily) shrieked inside her head, shocked at the revelation. This lady was Jumin's mother?! No wonder they looked so incredibly similar! They both were supermodels… 

"Son…" she finally responded after a doubtful minute. "It's wonderful to see you again after so many years." She slowly walked towards the tall man, much taller than she was herself. "You've grown into a respectable businessman." 

She almost allowed her hand to caress Jumin's cheek lovingly, but retreated in fear he might not take it well. 

Jumin's eyes were closed tightly, as if attempting to deny the presence of his estranged mother suddenly right in front of his face. He wasn't able to speak or even move. 

His mind was becoming an increasing mess of pulled, disarranged threads forming a giant knot that represented all those intense feelings he had bottled up during all his life. 

Jumin just couldn't. It was just too much. Too much pain. Too much confusion…

Then he felt a squeeze on his right hand that managed to bring him back to reality. He looked down surprisedly only to realize Jaehee was gazing at him with heartfelt, reassuring eyes. 

She was deeply worried about him, and he could feel that through the comfort she gave him while tenderly holding his hand. As if to keep him standing. 

He finally got the strength to lift his head and gaze back at his absent mother; a complete stranger. "I have." 

He noticed his mother smile slightly for half a second before going back to her stoic expression. Her grey orbs lowered until her eyes were settled on Jaehee Kang's petite, trembling figure. 

She raised an eyebrow when she noticed how she and Jumin's grip on each other had never loosened; and she assumed the young girl to be her daughter-in-law. "It's an honor to meet your girlfriend, son." She leaned down in a respectful bow. 

Before either Jaehee or Jumin could speak up, she decided to introduce herself. "My name is Jooeun Lee, pleased to make your acquaintance." 

"Um…" Jaehee murmured nervously, letting go of Jumin as if to reveal they weren't actually dating. 

"She is Jaehee, my assistant. We don't hold a relationship of that sort," Jumin told her with slight spite, grasping the bridge of her nose to calm his nerves. "And may I know what you're doing here… after all these years?" he questioned with a low snarl. "What made you come back?" 

The older woman became silent, having been caught red-handed. Mr. Chairman immediately jumped on the scene, feeling how horribly tense the environment had turned. "Jumin, be polite with your mother," he reprimanded him. 

Then the old man of grey hair cleared his throat. "Me and your mother have decided to… You have to understand, but Jooeun and I—" 

"We're getting back together," Jooeun said, seeing that he wasn't going straight to the point. "We'll be getting remarried this year..." 

"What…?" Jaehee's worry increased by a mile when she noticed how Jumin's face had paled so suddenly to the point he almost looked like a ghost. His eyes widened and they rolled to the back of his head. 

"Mr. Han!" the short-haired brunette exclaimed when Jumin started stumbling back as if he was about to faint. But he was able to hold himself in place, especially thanks to Jaehee supporting his back and arm from behind. 

"I will make sure to invite you to the wedding," his biological mother decided to tell him before walking back inside the house as calmly as she could.

* * *

Afterwards, the disturbed Ceo-in-line was leaning back on his car seat, Jaehee next to him trying to calm down his pure rage. "This whole situation feels like an acid trip… is that what people call it?" She heard him mutter dazedly, his eyes still unfocused. 

"Mr. Han… What have I told you about using urban vocabulary?" she inquired gently, attempting to lighten up his mood if just a little. Seeing that he didn't respond, instead quietly turning his face to the window, she resolved to asking the many questions hoarding her mind. 

"Mr. Han… If I may ask… " She glanced at him momentarily for permission to continue, not wanting to be disrespectful or bring back bad memories. Jumin nodded, allowing her. 

"What's your relationship with Ms. Lee? I mean, you don't have to answer—" She quickly reassured him in her ramble. 

"She's my biological mother," Jumin proceeded to tell her, knowing in his heart he fully trusted Jaehee and confided in her. "She divorced my father before I turned four years old. The last time I heard of her was two years ago, when she was traveling around the world for leisure… And now... my father told me she has returned." 

"Oh," Jaehee uttered, her golden eyes widening slightly as they kept examining Jumin's strained expression. 

"We never formed a bond of any kind, and she abandoned my life as soon as she escaped this household. I… I haven't seen her in so many years…" Jumin's frown was no longer an angered one but a completely saddened, longing face. 

She could tell he resented his mother and that it probably affected him more painfully than anyone could imagine. Her upper body began leaning forward, closer and closer to Jumin's figure, until her arms enveloped his back and she squeezed him in a comforting, understanding hug. 

Neither of them said anything, nor moved either. Just stayed next to each other's warmth, feeling the solace of having one another in the midst of life's hardships.

* * *

They stayed that way all the road until Driver Kim reached C&R once again. The chauffeur parked the company car right by the building's entrance, and got out of his seat to open Jumin's door. 

He was greatly surprised when he saw the surreal scene of Jumin and Jaehee somehow cuddling together. They were both too distracted to notice him staring at them with his mouth wide agape. "Er, um, Mister… Mr. Han?" 

As soon as his hesitant voice rang through their ears, both people flinched out of their minds, snapping from their deep thoughts. 

They quickly pulled away, sitting at least a meter away from each other, embarrassed. 

"Miss Kang?" Driver Kim muttered again, scratching his cheek bemusedly. What had he missed between these two? 


	14. I'm Not Jealous

After the terribly long day that was yesterday, Jumin was glad when he woke up on his simple, comfortable bed without the massive headache he gained after all the stress he went through.

He held his head, eyes still closed as he tried to get rid of the tiredness. Elizabeth the 3rd walked inside the room as was usual of her; elegant, beautiful and astute. She leapt into the soft mattress and curled up like a ball next to her owner, who smiled softly and petted her head.

Well, yesterday wasn't so horrible after all.

Jaehee had been there by his side the whole time and… that felt quite comforting.

Jumin heard his cellphone ring and he snapped back to reality. "Who could be calling now?" he wondered aloud. "Could it be from the office? Work doesn't start until an hour." Picking up the call, he wasn't exactly glad when he heard Luciel's voice from the other line.

"Jumin! Jumin!" the energetic redhead exclaimed, sounding excited.

"What?" the Executive Director asked while happily caressing Elizabeth the Third's back, to which she responded by purring just as happily.

"Isn't today the charity run?!" he inquired, "The day all the employees of your company race against each other in a relay race?! And the winning price is to feel proud over the fact you helped some sick kids?!"

"Yes, Luciel, everything you said is correct." Despite his maturity, Jumin couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What's your point…?"

"This is a perfect opportunity to conquest Jaehee's heart!" Luciel shouted his lungs off, sounding completely confident in his plan. At hearing Jumin hum from confusion and surprise on the other side of the phone, 707 proceeded to explain.

"When Jaehee's running around, you can go cheering for her with posters and applause and all that! And then, when she wins the race, cause Jaehee will, you can go running towards her like, 'I knew you would win all along, babe!' and then you hug her and you kis—"

Jumin hung up on Luciel when he got another call; normally he wouldn't do something as rude as that, but then again, the caller was Jaehee herself.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Han?! Are you okay? Does your head still hurt?" Jaehee's rushed voice boomed, clearly concerned for him. "If it still does, I can go to your penthouse and bring you some medicine, work doesn't start until an hour."

Jumin chuckled softly; it was so cute. "I'm fine, Assistant Kang, but thank you for being so caring," he told her gently, finally getting up from bed. "Instead, you probably should be worrying about the race. Are you ready for it?" He smiled at her even though she wasn't present.

"Of course! I've trained during all my spare time! I won't fail you!" she said, sounding incredibly determined.

"I would say good luck, but I don't believe in such superstitions, so instead…" Jumin told her, making Jaehee a little bit puzzled: where was he going with this?

"Have fun racing." He finished amusedly. "I know you won't need any help winning."

Jaehee was glad Jumin couldn't see her right at the moment, because she was blushing. "Oh… Um, thanks, Mr. Han."

Jumin finally reached the blinds darkening his bedroom and pulled them open, letting the wide French windows fill the place with sunlight. "See you at the race, then."

* * *

"And so the annual C&R International relay races, a kind-hearted charity work for the pure benefit of children's hospitals, begins!" a cheerful announcer who was especially hired for the day informed, setting the mood for everyone participating.

The whole office staff had arrived to the closed gymnasium they were going to use for the run, and everyone was flexing their limbs or practicing with other peers for the sake of doing well.

Jaehee was no different; she didn't want to disappoint Jumin, since she was his representative in a way. She was dressed in a white sports shirt alongside sunflower yellow shorts and tall white sneakers like everyone else and eagerly stretched an arm over her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Jumin was sitting in the very top of the stadium, contemplating his assistant from above. She took off her glasses since they would only bother her while running and somehow, her short brown hair was styled differently; meant to help her win as well.

He sighed blissfully, taking in her image when he was interrupted by none other than Seven sitting right beside him as a guest.

"Hey, hey, Jumin!" the man with glinting lenses shouted, asking for his attention. "Why did you hang up on me? It hurt my feelings…!" he whined almost jokingly.

"I apologize. But it was necessary," Jumin answered absent-mindly, taking his silver eyes back to Jaehee.

"Anyway, how are you going to conquest Jaehee?" Luciel questioned, sounding serious for once. "Remember you need to get married before the next three months arrive or you'll lose her."

"Seven…" The raven-haired man's eyes widened, focus returning to the redhead. "I'm starting to believe you're just trying to trick me." His previous expression changed into one of anger. "I'm not Yoosung, you know."

"No, really! Where would you get such an impression?!" Luciel dramatically put a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. "I just want to help you and Jaehee, fellow RFA members, find happiness!"

Jumin's orbs narrowed with strong doubt, but he decided to brush it off; since if Seven was really just pranking him, he'd make sure to get revenge that was three times worse. "What do you think I should do…?" he asked Luciel, not looking at him.

"Easy! You should—"

Jumin instantly lost connection with Seven's words as soon as he noticed a strange change of scene occurring downwards: Jaehee wasn't alone anymore, and instead a male employee, Jin Seon, was approaching and having a close conversation with her.

Jaehee was smiling back at him while speaking, though she didn't seem very interested, while the man of auburn hair seemed very, if not extremely interested in her.

Something inside Jumin went off against his own will and a heavy, unpleasant feeling settled in his chest. He glared daggers at the flirty man and leaned further forwards as if to listen to their conversation, though to his disappointment, he still wasn't able to.

"...And that will totally win over Jaehee, believe me! Let's put the plan into action!" Seven fistbumped into the air, not realizing until that very moment Jumin wasn't listening to him. "Aw, come on!"

"The race finally shall begin! Watchers, hold onto your seats, and runners, get into your shoes!" The announcement caught the Ceo-in-line by surprise, as all the participants got into line, Jin barely a few centimeters apart from Jaehee, while she awkwardly stared at him.

"Do they really need to stand so close together?" Jumin huffed with a pout, crossing his arms in disdain.

The whole race Jumin was intently focused on how Jin brushed up against Jaehee's running figure while she repeatedly apologized for it, not noticing his intentions.

At the end, Jaehee and Jin ended up together as a team and the two, left and right foot tied together, were able to reach the finish line first with exploding cheers in the background.

While Jaehee was open-mouthed from all the hard exercise, Jin swiftly took a hold of her hand and lifted it up into the air alongside his with a grin; declaring themselves champions.

"He dares!" Jumin growled under his breath, crossing his fingers between each other in front of his face and glaring even more intensely at the boy.

Jaehee glanced back at the man holding her hand, more confused than anything.

"We did a good job, Jaehee!" He smiled at her joyfully like he had the whole day, still holding her hand upwards. "I'm glad I got to team up with you!"

"Hm, well…" She smiled sheepishly, glancing at him. "I'm flattered."

Jin laughed carefreely. "I hope we get to do it again…" he admitted, letting go of her hand and fidgeting nervously with it. "Hey, Jaehee, um, if you want… Would you like to go out—"

Jumin unconsciously got up from his chair, feeling too restless to just sit back while this terrible situation unleashed. But as soon as he got up, he distractedly slipped in a puddle of soda Luciel had spilled all over the floor, falling on the hard ground with a merciless thud.

"Mr. Han! Did you get hurt?!" Jaehee immediately shouted worriedly, hastily rushing over to his hunched body. "I'm sorry, Mr. Seon! I need to help him!" She gave Jin an apologetic bow before continuing her run.

"Ugh…" Jumin groaned deeply, closing his eyes shut. "As if this day could get any worse…"

"Mr. Han! What's wrong?" his assistant asked, panting, and finally arriving towards him. "You fell pretty hard…"

"It's nothing," he told her coldly, attempting to get up from the slippery floor by himself as if to prove it… but failing miserably.

"Well, it's clearly something if you're unable to get up!" Jaehee retorted, putting a hand on her hip and pointing the other at him.

"I'm fine! I don't need your help. You can go talk with Seon if you wish for it!" he said, waving his hand to dismiss her.

"What? You're obviously hurt! I don't know why you're trying to hide it, or why you're involving Mr. Seon out of the blue." The woman of short, radiant waves leaned down and grabbed a hold of his foot despite his childish grumbling.

She quickly took off his dress shoe and sock to the check for the injury. "Oh, no… It looks swollen…" she remarked with strong concern. "We should get out of here so I can check better. I have some ointments in my bag that should work."

"Come on," Jaehee told him before going for his hand and putting it over shoulder so she could help him walk over to his car. "I'll tell Driver Kim to take us to your home."

* * *

"Hmph," Jumin huffed stubbornly, not wanting to admit how badly his left foot ached; to the point he wasn't even able to walk to correctly and instead had to lay on the long couch inside his living room like a lazy, useless person.

At the same moment, Jaehee walked in holding a bag with ice inside and and some ointments. She sat down on the couch next to Jumin and got to work. Silently, Jaehee had her mind focused on helping him, while his was focused on her.

"Congratulations for winning the race, Assistant Kang," he expressed sincerely, though still looking away. "You did a perfect job, as usual, except…" He trailed off.

"Except what?" Jaehee asked, setting the ice pack over his injury.

"Except… did you really have to be so close with that Seon man the whole time? It's unethical and inappropriate." He stared at her with a serious, stoic face.

The puzzled woman raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how so?"

"Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable if a man stood so incredibly close to you?" he questioned, arms crossed. "It's harassment."

"I don't think it is, Mr. Han. And to answer your question, no, I don't feel uncomfortable," she defied, crossing her own arms.

"Really? Even if he's standing this close?" He scooted over towards her, shortening the distance between them as if to prove the point.

"No," Jaehee affirmed, still unmoved.

"Oh. Even this close, Assistant Kang?" Jumin moved even closer, to the point they were sitting barely centimeters away.

Jaehee's honey-colored eyes widened slightly, but she immediately hid it, pretending she didn't care. "No, I don't mind."

"How about this close?" Surprising both of them, Jumin swiftly grabbed Jaehee's arm and held it over him, accidentally causing his body to fall on top of hers in the couch.

Suddenly, they both went speechless, staring at each other with eyes as wide as plates for what seemed eternal. That's when they realised the situation they were in… but they still weren't able to say anything.

"Um… Mr. Han?" Jaehee managed to squeak out with embarrassment; her cheeks were burning pink.

Jumin finally snapped out from his daze and immediately got off her, coughing and clearing his throat awkwardly. "I apologize… I… got carried away." He tried to hide with his hand how he was blushing, too.

"Well," Jaehee began fidgeting with the edges of her slightly oversized t-shirt nervously while neither of them could meet gazes. "I should get going, then. Err…"

She got up, turning her face towards him with a shy smile. "Have a good night, Mr. Han."

Jumin heard her close the door to the penthouse before leaving and sighed ashamedly, feeling the heaviness of his actions sink in. "Why in the world did I do that…?" he asked himself, regretting he couldn't do anything right.


	15. What You Deserve

**[Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom]**

**Jaehee:** Oh, Luciel, you're here.

 **707:** Hiya Baehee.

 **Jaehee:** -_-

 **Jaehee:** I'm glad you're here though, I wanted to ask you about something in specific.

 **707:** What is it?

 **Jaehee:** Mi-Cha, since she's going to become Mr. Han's future assistant... Shouldn't she also have access to the RFA chatroom?

 **Jaehee:** After all, it's the same reason why I was included as well...

 **707:** Hmm well, that's an option. But don't you think you're rushing things a little? Lol

 **707:** You still haven't left!!

 **707:** I mean, this MC girl, we don't know her that well. How do we know she's trustworthy?? You should be more careful of who you believe in.

 **Jaehee:** ...I suppose you're right. But I'll admit I want to trust Mi-Cha. So far, she seems like a respectable person.

 **707:** Eh, I'll think about it. If I decide I'll tell ya lol

* * *

"Seven, I'm a fool," Jumin stated with the most deadpan of expressions to the shorter, red-haired man sitting a few meters across from him inside his studio.

"You just realised?" Luciel retorted with his normal playful grin.

"Jaehee must hate me... All I've done must be a pain to her..." Jumin continued, ignoring the other man's joke and speaking seriously. "I can't think of a single time she's enjoyed being with me..."

"I don't know, maybe 'cause everytime she's with you, there's work?" Seven said, trying to be logical. "You two really should hang out far away from the office."

"You really think so?" the raven-haired businessman questioned, glancing at Luciel.

"I wonder... What kind of things Jaehee likes. I know she unfortunately dislikes cat fur, but she doesn't really dislike cats in general, does she...?" Jumin wondered aloud.

"You should ask her," Seven told him simply, eating some Honey Buddah Chips from a bag he was holding in one of his hands.

"I wish to know more about her," Jumin whispered blissfully, even if only to himself. "I want to know everything about Jaehee."

"Hm, that's easy. I have an idea!" Luciel Choi assured the worried corporate heir. "But this time you have to listen...!"

* * *

After her conversation with Luciel that morning, Jaehee got ready for another day of work and left her apartment, locking the door behind her.

While on her subway ride, she suddenly heard her phone start to ring franatically and she immediately pulled it out and picked up the call without missing a beat. "Hello?"

"Jaehee? It's me, Mi-Cha!" her friend's voice resonated from the gadget.

"Oh, MC, how are you doing?" Jaehee smiled softly, turning around to glance at the window next to her and see the world passing by her. "I'm on my way to the office."

"Me? Ah, good as usual!" the younger girl chirped, sounding carefree. "I already arrived, I'm just waiting for you so I can start training!"

"Oh, really? I didn't think you'd arrive forty minutes early!" the woman of non-prescription glasses exclaimed with surprise.

"I didn't seem like a morning person?" Mi-Cha laughed. "I get told that a lot. But I like to take walks around these hours, so I get up earlier than most people."

"That sounds great, a very healthy habit," Jaehee told her with a nod, approving of the hobby. "Just remember to be careful."

"Yeah, anyway, I called 'cause I wanted to ask if you're free later today? There's this new cafe that opened nearby and I want to try the cake!" the girl of long, straight hair suggested, eager.

"A cafe?" Jaehee hummed. "I love those... Especially the coffee-themed ones. Of course, I'll accompany you."

"Awesome! See you there!" Mi-Cha hung up, leaving Jaehee happily awaiting the moment she'd get to hang out with her newly found friend while sipping hot coffee.

* * *

Soon enough, after her work hours were finished, Jaehee was sitting next to Mi-Cha inside the local, recently inaugurated cafe.

It had a warm, lovely atmosphere and it washed away any tiredness she felt from all the paperwork she had signed and aligned that day.

Mi-Cha grinned gleefully as she finally took a taste of the wonderful red velvet cake in front of her; while Jaehee just quietly but joyfully held a cup of cappuccino.

The two girls shared a comfortable silence in which they ate and drank the delicious food when suddenly a waitress walked up to them with a pamphlet in her hand.

"Good evening, would any of you ladies be interested in a quick survey?" she asked politely. "It sponsors our cafe and it would be a great help of your part to enhance our shop's quality!"

Jaehee stared at the paper surprisedly but Mi-Cha immediately accepted the offer, basically snatching away the pamphlet. "It'd be an honor!"

"Come on, Jaehee!" the excited girl urged. "Let's fill it up, it'll be fun!" She swiftly handed over a survey to her friend.

"Huh, alright. It should be easy enough," Jaehee accepted, eyes widening slightly. She held down the paper, grabbing a pen from her handbag and writing.

First, it requested her name, then her birthday, then her favorite hobby, favorite food, favorite color...

And even though everything was strange, there was something that especially stood out: her ideal date.

"What?" Jaehee cocked an eyebrow, suspicious. "What kind of survey is this?" she questioned to no one in particular, but Mi-Cha answered anyways.

"Who cares? It's nice!" She smiled at her, holding up her up pencil. "You gotta loosen up a little, Jae."

Jaehee wanted to scratch her head in confusion, but refrained from it with a sigh and continued the weird quiz.

"Birthday... December 28th... Favorite hobby... Watching Zen's musicals... Favorite food... Hm, does coffee count?" The chief assistant put the pen next to her lip undecisively, an habit of hers.

She shrugged, thinking it didn't matter much anyway: it's not like anyone would actually bother to read this thing. "Favorite color... Yellow," she paused again, "Ideal date..."

"Ooh, mine would be a trip to the movies... Then, we go swimming!" Mi-Cha chirped, affirmative of her own likings.

"Swimming? Wouldn't it be too late for that after the movies?" Jaehee inquired, finding it slightly illogical.

"Exactly! That'd make it even more fun!" MC giggled at her friend and co-worker's constant seriousness.

"Well... Mine..." Jaehee put the pen close to her coral-tinted lips again. "I've always wanted to go to an amusement park in a romantic way..." She finally admitted with a blush. "It's cliché and quite cheesy, isn't it?"

"Of course not!" Mi-Cha reassured her with a friendly grin. "It sounds really cute. Hmm... If only you had a boyfriend to share such a date with..." she playfully teased, glancing one way to another.

Jaehee chuckled gently, covering her mouth. "If only..."

"Now if I may..." The waitress came up to them again, seeming ready to take away the surveys. "Are you finished?"

"Yeah, we are!" Mi-Cha responded for the two once again, grabbing both hers and Jaehee's papers and handing them out to her before the short-haired woman could say anything.

"Mi-Cha!" Jaehee stuttered nervously, lightly hitting the cackling girl on the back. "You really have to calm down about this!"

* * *

"Welp, see you tomorrow, Jaehee," Mi-Cha waved goodbye as the evening sun downed behind them.

Jaehee nodded friendly. "It was nice to spend time together. I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, we can watch musicals next time!" the intern laughed merrily as she disappeared in the midst of the busy street.

Jaehee sighed relaxingly, feeling good over the whole day... Though there was also a weird, lingering feeling in the back of her head.

Something was off. Suspicious.

But deeming it immature, she just brushed it away as she went on her way. Then she got a text message.

"Assistant Kang, I need you to come urgently. There's something very important which only can be resolved by you."

It was Jumin, obviously. And apparently he was in a tight emergency according to the words, making Jaehee feel deeply worried all of the sudden and immediately rush to the address he had sent her.

* * *

The chief assistant, who unusually wasn't using her work clothes, and instead opted for a shoulders off white blouse and a mustard yellow pencil skirt and heels, finally arrived to the unknown destination she had been sent to (more puzzled than anything).

"Huh, Mr. Han?" She swished around, trying to spot the tall man, but everything around her was covered in shadows for some reason. "Mister—"

Suddenly, an impossible amount of bright lights brightened all around her confused figure at the same time, making her turn even more quickly than expected when she heard her boss's voice.

"You're finally here, Jaehee."

Jaehee actually gasped in astonishment when she saw him: he was wearing one of the finest, highest-couture suits that she had ever seen anyone wear; and she had seen a lot of his suits, this was Jumin Han, after all.

He slowly approached her with that soft smile he only really gave to her. "Do you like it?" he asked her with an amused tone.

"Mis... Mr. Han..." She was literally unable to speak: she realized where they were. An amusement park, her favorite one as a child, too!

And it was completely empty except for the both of them.

"Why— why are you doing this?" She stuttered, feeling a betraying smile appear all over her face giddily. "What's the reason? I thought...."

Jumin chuckled lightly, then he looked at her with that heartwarming smile again. "Because you deserve it..." he told her sincerely. "You deserve this, Assistant Kang. You should have the ideal date you wish so much for."

Jaehee seriously felt hot, painful tears surface from her honey-colored eyes, and she cupped her face with her two hands, trying to hide the fact. "I never thought... I never thought I'd get to have that date..."

Jumin walked closer to her, happily standing by her side, contemplating the wide place. "I rented the park since I felt other people being around could ruin the moment."

Jaehee laughed at the remark, brushing away her remaining tears. "Only you would do something like that."

Jumin allowed himself to scoff with mirth, too, still looking at her warmly. Seeing Jaehee happy... He found out he really adored the aesthetic of it.


	16. Definitely

Echo Girl checked her sparkly nails nonchalantly while she sat back on the car seat of her eleventh (and favorite) limousine without a care in the world; feeling sure of herself everything was going smoothly. 

She had told her chauffeur to track down Jumin Han and follow him as soon as he left the office. If she couldn't make a move while he was at work, then obviously the second option is while he _wasn't_. 

It wasn't like she was a "creepy stalker" or an "obsessive sociopath" like her manager had called her that one time. Pft, of course not. She was just a pretty, harmless girl in love! 

And Jumin would thank her later anyway when he finally opened his eyes and saw her for who she was. 

"We're here, Miss Choi," the stiff driver told her, clearly not wanting to be there. 

"Good. Glad I caught Juminny while he's alone," she chirped with a beaming grin, preparing herself to exit the vehicle. 

"But…" 

"What?" Kyungju spat at the man holding the steering wheel as soon as he interrupted her happy thoughts. 

"He's… with a woman." The chauffeur finished with a gulp, knowing well he had just unleashed Kyungju's inner beast. 

" _What_?!" she screamed, launching her body forward so she could look at the same window as him. "Jumin's allergic to women! Why would he ever be with one that isn't m—" 

She cut herself off as her eyeballs almost popped out. A growl formed inside her throat, escaping from her lips while she glared at the image in front of her. "...Except for that filthy assistant of his… Who does she think she is?"

Her fuming silence preoccupied the driver, and he attempted to speak up. "Huh, Miss Choi, are you okay?" 

"Shut up!" she immediately snapped, turning around and picking up her phone from her designer bag. "Hmph," she huffed, tapping the required numbers to make a call. "Daddy's gonna hear about this…" she muttered with a sense of revenge. 

* * *

Jaehee held back a laugh as Jumin tried (and failed) to hide how little he actually new about theme park rides. 

There were no operators to turn on the machines, but Jumin said it wouldn't be a problem since they were "easy to use". 

"Mr. Han, are you sure you don't want any help?" she asked, tilting her head to the side with playful air. 

"No, it's fine." He was quick to reply. "Today you're not my assistant, but the other way around." He shot her a satisfied smile as he finally figured out what the big red button was for. 

Jaehee chuckled again. "Really? Do I have to pay you then?" 

"It's charity work," Jumin responded, before leaning in and offering his hand to her so she could get on the Rollercoaster effortlessly. 

Jaehee grabbed the security belt and excitingly set it over both of them as soon as they reached the seats. Afterwards, she eagerly waited for the ride to start. 

"Have you ever been on a Rollercoaster before, Mr. Han?" she inquired while the engines began heating up. 

"No… what does it do?" he questioned, completely unaware of what he just got into. 

The brown-haired girl couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise while she stared at him; she actually felt bad for her oblivious boss. 

Before she could warn him though, the cart went off like an exploding missile. Jaehee couldn't help her shocked shriek that quickly became a delighted squeal as the ride spun around. 

Meanwhile, Jumin couldn't help his breath abandoning his whole body and leaving him with the pale, grim appearance of a ghost. He wasn't even able to speak from the pure horror and all the wind that repeatedly slapped his face. 

Jaehee glanced at him with a unknowing grin until she noticed how scared he actually was and her smile faded with empathy. In the midst of all the noise and breeze, she took his hand and her fingers intertwined with his in a reassuring hold. 

Jumin's gaze shifted from the blurry scenery in front of them to his assistant's comforting face with eyes as wide a plates. She had the warmest eyes, that he could swear were made from honey and gold, and she couldn't have looked more like an angel if she tried. 

He smiled sweetly at her and she returned the smile. As soon as they both were enjoying the ride, it ended, leaving them both laughing unanimously. 

"Our hair is all disheveled now," Jaehee commented, trying to tone down her extremely windswept, messy hair as the tracks stopped. 

Jumin's grey eyes looked up and noticed a stray green leaf stuck right in the middle of his forehead; he heard Jaehee stifling a giggle. He pulled it off unceremoniously. "This must have been such an _amusing_ scene to you, no, Assistant Kang?" 

She pushed away a tear from laughter with her wrist. "Indeed. I haven't laughed that hard in a while," she admitted good-naturedly. "Oh. Your tie is all messed up, Mr. Han," Jaehee said in realization. 

Before Jumin could react, she immediately leaned in, despite the fact they were already exceedingly close, and her hands worked by themselves as she fixed the necktie without missing a beat. 

"There." She smiled contently at her perfect result, and finished smoothing out the surface with a quick brush of her fingers. 

Unconsciously, the unsuspecting woman slowly raised her gaze to see Jumin staring at her with great surprise; probably not expecting her to do something like that at all. 

For what seemed eternal, both people were staring intently at each other as if they were in some kind of daze, unable to take their eyes off the other. 

Until Jumin cleared his throat and looked away as a nearly unnoticeable pink blush spread over his cheeks. Jaehee snapped back to reality and awkwardly shifted away from his body. 

* * *

A chuckle emanated from Jumin's lips as he leant back on his chair in front of Jaehee's at the private five-star restaurant they were currently eating at, much to his assistant's amazement. 

"Elizabeth the Third would really adore some of this caviar." He sighed blissfully, touching the fine food with a just as expensive silver fork. "Is it of your taste as well?" he asked her with sheer curiosity. 

" _Of course_ Elizabeth would enjoy caviar…" she murmured with a half-hearted roll of her eyes. "She's a cat. Isn't it fish eggs, after all? And it _is_ quite tasty…" She ate a bit of garlic bread with the substance smeared in the top. 

"My dear Elizabeth isn't just a cat, though, you know all she means to me…" He sighed; his voice sounded so pleasing, Jaehee couldn't help but smile sincerely as well. 

"I know she's like family to you... I don't dislike _her,_ " Jaehee informed him as her arms stretched forward. "Just… the C-fur. It ruins good fabric." 

"But it's still quite soft and beautiful, don't you think?" Jumin said, convinced. 

Jaehee chuckled a little; there was always this shining sparkle in Jumin's normally dull eyes whenever he spoke about Elizabeth, something he was passionate about. Surprising herself, she found it quite endearing. 

"—stant Kang? _Jaehee_?" Her thoughts were interrupted by an alluring, deep voice. 

"Huh?" Jaehee blinked twice, bemused. 

"Are you fine, Assistant Kang?" Jumin questioned with a worried look, "You were daydreaming." 

"Ah, really?" she inquired, an embarrassed red blush rushing to her cheeks. "That's so unlike me…" 

"I found it quite strange," he agreed, "Where you daydreaming about Elizabeth the Third, perhaps?" he asked, serious as ever. 

"Eh—" Jaehee raised a confused eyebrow. "Y-yeah, yeah. _Definitely_ Elizabeth." 

"Then it's completely understandable." He nodded sympathetically. "By the way, if you're finished with your meal, would you allow me to take you somewhere else? It's our final destination of the night," he said, a tinge of nervousness in his words. 

"Um, of course, I'm done already," she reassured him, full in the stomach and setting the plate aside, as well as her chair. 

"Great. I hope it'll be of your liking," Jumin stated, and Jaehee could distinguish his previous nervous feeling being replaced by relief. "Follow me, please."

* * *

Fireworks erupted over both of their heads, the moonlight covering the huge waves of the navy blue sea. The wooden bridge Jumin had brought her to was firm and steady, so she had no fear of falling into the icy cold waters. 

Instead, her eyes widened with wonder as well as a big smile while the fireworks surrounded them like bursting stars alongside the still ones in the night sky. 

"Mr. Han… This…" She wasn't able to finish the sentence, but gulped down the knot inside her throat. "This is wonderful…!" 

Jumin couldn't do anything but give her a smile of satisfaction. "I'm glad everything went well," he murmured, glancing away to look at the show, too. 

" _Seriously_ , I…" Her gaze shifted downwards, a sense of guilt building up in her chest. "I don't deserve this… how could I ever repay you…?" she muttered out her feelings without thinking. 

"Don't," he immediately responded. "You don't have to repay me in any way… this is my way of apologizing. For everything I put you through… All those times you overworked yourself and I was too centered in myself to notice." 

Jaehee turned around to stare at him with shock at the apology out of nowhere. 

"Meanwhile… you're always thinking about me…" He sighed, clearly distressed. "I… I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me, Jaehee. And I will no longer stop you from leaving me— er, the company," he corrected, rubbing his aching temples. 

"I deserve it, after all." Were his final, impactful words. 

Jaehee was sincerely at a complete loss of voice, unable to do anything but gawk at him. Jumin must have misinterpreted, because he quickly turned his sight back at her and gave her an apologetic look. 

"Don't be concerned. I will make sure not to make the same mistakes with Miss Park when she becomes my assistant," he promised her with the most honest gaze she had ever seen from him. 

She wanted to say something; she wanted to tell him that she didn't resent him. That she was actually thankful for every opportunity and rare but well-deserved encouragement he gave to her, for becoming more understanding as he was able to comprehend her situation...

But all she said was, "Mr. Han… thank you." 

Jumin seemed disappointed for a second before he quickly concealed the feeling with his usual blank expression. 

Then there was silence. A comfortable lack of talking. 

Neither of them would have minded it until Jaehee started trembling slightly, rubbing her arms and elbows to try and keep heat in the midst of the cold temperature. 

Noticing she was cold, though she tried to hide it by not complaining, which was an habit of hers he didn't particularly like. She thought she didn't deserve to feel, to let others know about her pain and instead attempted to dissimulate it. 

"Assistant Kang." 

"Yes?" 

"Have my jacket," he told her, offering her said piece of cloth after he efficiently slid it off. 

"W-what?" She shook her head slightly with a reassuring soft smile. "You don't have to, Mr. Han. I'm fine." 

"But you're shivering," he stated, staring at her shaking figure, her breath froze into the air and became cold smoke. 

"But if I take it, you'll freeze, Mr. Han," she spoke out her worries. 

"Don't worry about it, I will be fine." Jumin handed out the warm jacket to her, which she gladly accepted, despite still feeling bad about it. 

She rapidly put it over her shoulders and the instant warmth was bliss, not to mention the subtle aroma of… Wine? Typical of Jumin. 

Soon enough, the petite woman's theory was proven correct when her tall, lean boss begun shaking against his own will. 

"Mr. Han, you're cold."

"It's fine." 

"It's not. Here… have your jacket back." 

"You need it more than me…" 

Jaehee sighed, finishing their argument. "I know of a solution." She grabbed the clothing again and, shifting close enough to Jumin, settled it comfortably over _both_ of their backs as they huddled together like penguins. "Now neither of us will be cold." 

Jumin scoffed amusedly. "Touché." 

* * *

Jaehee and Jumin were almost by the exit when Jaehee's eyes widened and her face brightened up as she glanced sideways. 

Jumin tilted his head in confusion when she stopped walking. "What's wrong, Assistant Kang?" 

"The… the carousel," she murmured dreamily, staring at the horseback ride almost like a child would. 

Jumin chuckled a bit. "So cute." He couldn't help but think for a passing second. "Do you want to ride it?" 

She turned back at him with the same amazed face, even more amazed now as she nodded quickly. 

She sat on one of the white horses supported by poles and Jumin started the ride, thankfully, way quicker than last time. 

Jaehee laughed softly with anticipation as it started moving, feeling a gentle, precious memory creep up from the back of her mind. 

* * *

She was a little girl, around the age of six. Her mom was still there, and so was her father even. 

Her family had taken her there for her astounding grades at school. First grade had finished and she was in summer vacation; wanting to have all the utmost fun in the world. 

Her first ride was the carousel, and though she was initially a bit scared, the fact her father was there to hold her up calmed her nerves. 

She rode around in the pony's back alongside all the other kids while her mom excitingly recorded the whole thing on video tape. 

* * *

Jaehee heaved a wistful sigh as her shoulders sunk. How she missed them… but it was the days they were together that matter, right? 

Jumin smiled happily at the cheerful scene of Jaehee enjoying herself in the carousel, her own lips quirked upwards with joy. 

At moment, they both wished times like this could last forever. 

* * *

When Driver Kim finally reached Jaehee's apartment at the dead hours of the night, they unfortunately knew the reverie was over. 

Jaehee opened the car door, uttering grateful thanks and goodbyes to both men before going out and walking towards the entrance of her home.

Unexpectedly, Jumin stopped her. "Wait, I have something special for you," he told her with a grin as mischievous as Jumin could get. 

The short-haired girl clocked an eyebrow, puzzled, but waited patiently for said "special thing". 

Jumin walked towards the trunk of the car and opened it, only to reveal what the outrageous gift was as he held it with both hands. 

"Oh, my God…" Jaehee murmured, pretty shocked at the view. 

Between Jumin's hands was a giant, life-sized plushie of Elizabeth the Third. Its huge azure eyes were staring right back at her. "Surprise," Jumin said, a bright smile decorating his face. "Since you seem to share my love for Elizabeth, I suppose you will cherish this representation of her." 

He caressed the plushie's head softly and it emitted a cheery meow, apparently a perfect recording of the actual cat's voice. 

Jaehee curiously moved closer to touch the toy's white pelt despite her initial horror. "It's so fluffy!" she exclaimed with a gasp. "It's like real C-fur!" she kept brushing her fingers through the silky mane, unable to take them off. 

Jumin felt a happy sense of pride, glad Assistant Kang was finally learning to appreciate Elizabeth's innate beauty. 

Jaehee hummed after a while of petting the plush cat, a forming smile betraying her thoughts and lightening up her features. "I… I will cherish it," she admitted sincerely, holding it close to her chest with her arms. "...As long as it doesn't shed fur," she quickly added under her breath. 

Afterwards, no more words were exchanged as the two stared at each other's eyes with honest smiles once again; a comforting silence falling over the atmosphere, just for a last time. 

Then the man of raven locks broke it, waving at her with his hand for a second. "Good night, Assistant Kang," he wished her before departing into his car. 

"Good night," she replied, bowing slightly with gratitude and walking away as well. 

When she arrived inside her apartment, she immediately resolved to putting the giant cat plushie over her bed, as a precious memory, dare she say. She sighed as she contemplated it with irony before sinking her head on the soft pillow; Elizabeth the 3rd would accompany her in her dreams now, she guessed. 

Maybe Jumin, too. 

* * *

When Jumin Han stepped into his car after saying farewell to his assistant, he really didn't expect another call of his father (especially at eleven past forty in the night). 

Nevertheless, he picked it up while Driver Kim begun driving again. "Hello?" he uttered, hoping whatever his father had to say wouldn't ruin his current good mood. 

"Jumin, are you doing fine?" Mr. Chairman responded, sounding just as nonchalant. 

"Um, yes. Of course." Was Jumin's reply, his confusion seeping through his voice. 

"You must be wondering why I'm calling this late, but…" He heard his father sigh deeply. "Mr. Choi, Echo Girl's father has decided to file a lawsuit against the company," he finally informed his son. 

"Excuse me?" Jumin scoffed, now just as rightfully angered as his progenitor. "What's their reason?" 

"Kyungju Choi is blackmailing us…" Mr. Chairman said sorrowfully. Jumin heard him shifting in his seat. "She's got some confidential information she's threatening to spread out unless we do as she desires." 

"Obviously we're not going to," Jumin stated defiantly, crossing his arms. 

"Son…" his father muttered quietly. 

There was an awkward pause. 

" _What_?" the younger man questioned as he narrowed his cold eyes. 

"I already agreed to her terms," the CEO revealed. 

There were no adjectives to describe the frustration and comptempt Jumin felt at that every moment. "Please tell me you're joking. Did you seriously agree to her corrupt ways? In which she has full control over us?" he growled. 

"I had no other option. If I didn't agree, she would have published the info and everything would have been in vain." 

"You could have contacted our own lawyer." Jumin responded, attempting to hold back his fury against his father's foolish decision. 

"I was cornered…" Mr. Chairman sighed again. "Jumin, just, I have something extremely important to tell you. Listen to me." 

Jumin heaved a conflicted sigh again, but complied. 

"You… you have been arranged in a marriage with Kyungju Choi, for the sake of the company."


	17. Distraction

Jumin's face blanched from intense shock and a tinge of fear. "Father…" He started, his lips moving by themselves. "How could you?" 

He heard his father's breath hitch in the other side of the line; probably taken aback by his son's alienated words. He could tell Jumin felt betrayed from the sound of his voice.

But that didn't excuse the sense of disrespect it emitted. "Jumin. Do not speak to your own father that way," he stated firmly, closing his eyes while massaging his temples. 

The raven-haired man forced his mouth shut, impeding himself from speaking ill of the chairman any further. "... My apologies." 

"Listen," his father told him with a sigh, deciding to brush the past matters aside. "When it comes to tricky business like this, son, my advice is to never take it personally. You need to put your personal life and your work life in separate folders."

"What are you trying to say…?" Jumin glared at at the back of the car seat in front of him. "That I should marry Echo Girl, a completely impactful, _personal_ decision, but somehow think of it as sealing a business deal?" he growled lowly, restraining his anger. 

"That's not how it works—" Jumin abruptly stopped himself. A flashback took him back to just some weeks ago. 

When he proposed to Jaehee. 

That was the exact same sentence she said in response… So _that's_ what she meant back then. Finally, he was able to understand her point of view. 

"In this industry," his father reprimanded him as if he were a mere disobedient child, "It _is_. So Jumin, stop thinking only for yourself, and think for the company… please."

Jumin became unresponsive, glancing away with a lost gaze. 

"That is what I'm doing," Mr. Chairman informed him grimly, the pain he was trying to hide seeping into his voice. 

"I…" Jumin's distant glare through the window became even more intense and his words came out with just as much tenacity. "I _refuse._ " 

His father rolled on his cushioned chair. "Then deal with the consequences." Was his cold sentence. Defeated, the older man hung up. 

Jumin heaved a distressed sigh; suddenly wanting the earth to swallow him whole.

* * *

That night, Jumin was entirely unable to conceal sleep. He wasn't completely sure why, but he supposed the Kyungju Choi issue was a strong cause of his insomnia. 

He wanted to forget about it. To simply not care… that's what he usually would have done when it came to arranged marriages proposed to him (quite frequently, as well). 

But this was different. Because of the blackmailing, the tight position his father and C&R as a whole were in, he had no choice but to _care._ Worry, even. 

And he loathed it. Didn't his father know how much he despised those women? That literally the only way he would touch them was with a stick. 

A stick at least five meters long. 

At least his dear Elizabeth was there to comfort him. She slowly walked towards his tired figure, arms and legs extended all over his king-sized bed with what anybody would claim was a sweet smile. 

She purred as she stroked herself against his feet and he returned her affection by caressing her head gently. 

With his beloved kitten by his side, the corporate heir's eyes eventually drift off to slumber.

* * *

Unfortunately, what he dreams was of great contrast to what he expected. 

"No! No! Don't go…!" He heard his own voice cry desperately. But there was a big distinction. 

This self of him was four-years-old. He saw the child version of himself grabbing tightly to the ends of his mother's skirt, refusing to give up his grip. He remembered this moment, it was the last time he saw his mother: when the divorce happened. 

"M-mommy!" he shouted, tears sparkling and falling from the borders of his scared eyes as he stared at her with breaking hope. 

"Jumin, do not call me such a babyish name…" she nagged him with her usual stern gaze, face unusually pale. She was holding the door handle, about to leave. 

She pulled back at her coattails, attempting to make her son let go of the fabric, but it was in vain. Not that she was trying too hard in fear of accidentally making him stumble and fall. 

"Let go," Jooeun implored, pleadingly but firmly as well. Her eyes wavered, but she immediately forced them to become stone hard also. 

"No!" the toddler begged again. "Don't leave me! Please…" He finally let go of her, his fingers slipping from the dress. There were burn marks on Jumin's tiny hands from how hard he held it and he stared at them before resolving to wiping the stream of cold tears from his eyes. 

"Are you crying?" his mother huffed in disbelief. "Do you know what a disgrace that would be to your family name— Your father would be quite disappointed..." 

The sentence that started harsh became inaudible as she muttered the last part; her forehead leaning on the door. Her son was making this more difficult than it needed to be, she was probably thinking. 

The toddler of black locks let his head lower shamefully. The sounds of small hiccups escaped from his lips, warning him of the incoming sobbing he was about to face. 

"Goodbye…" Jooeun gave him an empathetic glance. "Son." The wooden door closed and opened with a slam, and soon, she was gone.

* * *

Meanwhile, another door opened the next morning. The crystal door of the office. Jaehee Kang entered the building with a refreshed, content grin which took all the other employees by surprise. 

"Jaehee!" Mi-Cha grinned as she basically ran towards her best friend and quickly gave her a hug. "Nice to see you again!" 

Jaehee returned the joy with cheer. "Indeed. For some reason, another day of work doesn't seem as tiresome as before today," she admitted with a brightened up face. 

Mi-Cha laughed. "Probably because of your date yesterday—" She gasped when she realized she had revealed a secret. 

Jaehee gasped as well. "MC! How did you know?!" she exclaimed, before interjecting herself. "It was _not_ a date, but I'm still inclined to wonder how you even knew of my outing with Mr. Han," she clarified while crossing her arms with an embarrassed blush. 

The woman of long bangs chuckled apologetically, scratching her cheek. "I'm sorry, Jae… but I actually helped out with it. This redhead cute guy told me about _everything_ , and I just wanted to lend you a hand—" 

"Wait wait wait," Jaehee interrupted her mid-sentence. "Redhead cute guy?" 

"Um, he said his name was Seven…" Mi-Cha remembered while glancing away; but then she giggled, covering her mouth. "Isn't he cute?!" 

"Ugh, Luciel." The woman with spectacles groaned. " _Cute_?" she uttered in an almost repulsive manner. 

"Hey, I have good taste!" MC argued, offended. 

"Sure," Jaehee playfully scoffed, "I only believe you because of Zen." 

"Hmph!" Mi-Cha pouted before softly punching her laughing friend in the arm. "You're so mean!" 

Jaehee's laughter stopped when Mi-Cha suddenly began inspecting her face with widened eyes. She was about to ask what the matter was when MC got to it before her. 

"Whoa, Jaehee," she murmured in awe. "You gotta give me your shampoo secrets."

"Eh?" Shampoo? What the—

Then Mi-Cha handed her a compact mirror she was carrying inside her bag, opening it wide for Jaehee to see her reflection. Her previously pixie short, auburn hair was growing it seemed. 

And the roots looked healthier and shinier than before, she noticed. 

"I didn't realize my hair was growing out already." The bemused woman sighed. "Mr. Han will most likely tell me to get a haircut as soon as he notices…" she expressed with a bit of sadness. 

"What?!" Mi-Cha yelled, voice rising rapidly. "That's so unfair!" 

The 26-year-old just walked away to finally sit behind her desk as usual. "It's part of the job," she explained. "It's a requisite… It's the reason I have to wear glasses, too…"

"It may seem strange, but Mr. Han is an extremely logical person, so I don't have a doubt there's a good reason behind it, I suppose," she said, clearly deciding to trust Jumin. 

"You're too kind, Jaehee," MC puffed, still angry about it. "Jumin better not pull that on me." 

Before either of them could keep the conversation going, one of Jaehee's subordinates broke into the office in a hurry. "Miss Kang, Mr. Han is in urgent need of your assistance," he informed her. 

"Of course." She nodded, determined. She _did_ want to see Jumin now for some strange reason even she couldn't understand yet…

* * *

Jumin heard a familiar knock resounding on his door, and relieved, he sighed and called out, already knowing who was on the other side. "Come in!" 

"Yes, Mr. Han?" Jaehee's head popped out from the door frame. Her golden brown eyes widened at the sight before her: Jumin Han was sitting on his leather chair as usual, but his countenance was incredibly pale. 

There were dark bags under his exhausted eyes that betrayed his effort to appear normal and alert. "Assistant Kang?" he muttered, lifting his head from the overwhelming number of paperwork laying all scattered over his desk. 

"Mr. Han…" Jaehee said with a tone of growing worry. "Are you alri—" 

"Please give this to my father." He didn't hear her about to speak and accidentally cut her off. His eyelids were falling drowsily, but he forced them open. "They're extremely important documents that must be carried with great care and urgency." 

Then he immediately went back to signing more and more papers, reading, as well as examining them and putting them in separate portfolios. He was so busy he didn't even realize she still hadn't left until he heard the doorknob clicking. 

His eyes reached for Jaehee against his will and he noticed something. While his brain yelled at him that he was just _too_ busy to even talk to her, his mouth ignored it and decided to point it out. 

"Assistant Kang… your hair…" 

Jaehee gulped down a lump in her throat. So he _did_ see it. She would need to make an appointment with scissors soon—

"It really suits you." Jumin finished, leaving his assistant gawking. 

"W-what… What did you say?" She stuttered, feeling as if she had just been struck by lightning. 

"Your hair looks pretty," Jumin repeated, completely nonchalant. 

"Huh… but—" She caught her breath. "You won't tell me to cut it again?!" she questioned, eyes wide. 

The tall man shook his head, his face leaning in while his intertwined hands served as support. "No." Was the simple response. 

"You no longer need to wear non-prescription glasses, either. It'll only damage your sight if you keep them," he added with pure concern. 

"Mr. Han…" Jaehee started in a dark, serious tone; cold sweat covering her face. "Did you… did you by chance get brainwashed by aliens?" 

For a moment there was a long, dangerous silence, and Jaehee couldn't help but think that perhaps Mr. Han would break the contract keeping her at the office and just kick her out the door. 

But what occurred instead, was the sound of a deep, alluring laughter resounding all over the closed walls. And it couldn't have taken her more by surprise discovering who it belonged to. 

"Abducted by aliens?" Jumin's laugh ended in a chuckle. "I think you've been spending too much time with a certain hacker," he told her while he looked at her with a smile he covered with the back of his hand and a playful gaze. 

"Ah, really?" She heaved a sigh she didn't know she was holding. "I just think this is a very sudden, unexpected decision. After all… I have followed these rules for three years… " she admitted, fidgeting with her fingers. 

Jumin glanced away; a sense of guilt descending all the way to his chest. "I apologize… You probably disliked the decision." His eyes reached hers again with all sincerity. "But it was necessary. My father was the looming reason all of my previous assistants had failed their work before…" 

Jaehee lifted her head, listening with interest. 

"He always went straight after them, giving them money and attentions to convince them to leave. It always worked. After three left all during the same month, I had enough and contacted V to help me…" 

"V?" Jaehee tilted her head to the side with confusion. "V helped you choose an assistant?" 

Jumin nodded. "Yes. I was at my breaking point, where I just couldn't glance at the photo of another woman without doubting she would stay for more than a week." He sighed disdainfully at the memory.

"V told me about you," he said, voice gentle. 

Jaehee's eyes perked up in astonishment: had something like that actually happened? The leader of the RFA introduced her to Jumin for the first time… 

"About how you were the first in your class, how you knew Judo and…" He paused, unsure if he should continue his words. "How harsh… your past had been," he stated with both a tone of sadness and admiration. 

The brunette woman didn't respond; she knew what he referred to. Her parents, her aunt and uncle… 

He looked at her, her sorrow reflecting on his own eyes. "I'm sorry…" he uttered, blaming himself for her sudden pain. "I shouldn't have—" 

"No." Jaehee interjected him, giving him a bittersweet smile. "It's fine. It's been a long time, that's all…" She attempted to reassure him. 

Jumin kept his worried stare on her until he decided to continue the story for her sake. "Then, he told me you seemed like a very capable person, perfect for the job. I still wasn't fully convinced, but even then I _knew_ he was right. V is never wrong about these kinds of things, you see…" 

"I told him the only problem was that you were exactly my father's type, with your long, glossy hair, your shapely figure and your sharp eyes," Jumin recalled, leaning back on his chair.

Jaehee couldn't help but raise a big question mark over her head as her eyes narrowed. Did Jumin just say she was too pretty to be his assistant…? 

"He suggested you could cut your hair and wear glasses, since my father has never gone for that kind of woman before…" 

"So you just tried to make me as unattractive as possible, yes?" Jaehee asked passive-aggressively, a disgruntled vein popping out on her forehead. 

"Well… you're making it sound like a despicable action." A bead of sweat dropped down his cheek. "But we only had your safety and your work potential in mind…" he reassured her, trying to calm her indignation. 

"I honestly didn't think the idea would help, since even after you made those changes to your appearance you were still beauti—" 

He coughed repeatedly as if suddenly he had caught pneumonia. "What I mean is that you still looked the same to me. But as you know, it did work, since my father never once bothered you," he said with relief. 

Jaehee sighed, just as relieved. "Thank God. But even if he had caught interest in me, Mr. Han, believe me, no money in this world would make me hook up with Mr. Chairman," she admitted with a secretive mutter and a shudder. 

Jumin couldn't help but chuckle again. "I'm glad that is the case."

Jaehee held back a laugh, but either way the two exploded in short laughter. The chief assistant brushed away an amused tear with her hand. "I have to give this to Mr. Chairman before it gets later," she reminded him, grabbing the papers in front of her. 

"Oh, right." Jumin remembered; he had gotten too distracted with Jaehee. Distractions he couldn't afford. 


	18. The Blackout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Changed this chapter slightly to better the plot line and direction.

It was sometime close of five in the morning; most people would be sleeping deeply during this hour, yet, waking up this early for work reasons was nothing new for the corporate director of C&R and his chief assistant. Jaehee was used to coming early to Jumin's penthouse before to give him a recall of his lengthy schedule for the day.

She walked inside the living room distractedly revising and re-reading a clipboard in her hand while paging through it quickly. Jumin was standing in front of a tall mirror (if Zen knew he only owned one mirror, he would scream), tying a red tie around his collar before taking it off with frustration. It just didn't seem right.

Then he grabbed another one, this time purple, and examined it profusely. Discontent, he put it away as well, now staring at a royal blue one. Seeking to multi-task while putting on different ties, he spoke up. "Assistant Kang, please give me a report of my schedule for today," he asked; eyes still firmly on the mirror.

"Oh." Jaehee finally looked up from her clipboard, and cleared her throat. "As you know, at seven o'clock, you have a meeting with the director of the Metropolitan Library," she informed him. "And the main goal is to come to an agreement with Mr. Lee where C&R can gain half-ownership of the library, and thus gain monthly profits as well as positively impact the company's image."

Jumin nodded slightly, satisfied with the flawless report. However, he still seemed irritated while inspecting various ties. Jaehee tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Is there a problem, Mr. Han?" she inquired, thinking that maybe he didn't like her report.

"Selecting ties for each special occasion is such a pain..." He muttered with a frustrated sigh, brows creased in a frown.

Jaehee glanced away in thought. Well, it was true each tie a director chooses can determine how successful a meeting could be. For example, black and white ties should be reserved only for funerals or other solemn events, red ties could be used to intimidate a corporate rival because of the fiery color, purple ties could be interpreted as arrogance, and blue ties...

"I could help you with that!" she chirped, raising a finger with determination.

"Huh?" Was all Jumin was able to say with surprise as his assistant practically ran towards him; any sense of personal space most likely forgotten as she laced her hands on his collar.

"For this occasion, a blue tie would be ideal," she said, eyes half-closed in concentration as she tied it around his neck effortlessly. "Because the color blue is often associated with peace and tranquility..."

She finally opened her eyes again, looking at him with a pleased smile. "...And that's the sort of relationship we want with this director," she finished speaking and fastening the tie, passing her hand over it to get rid of any remaining creases.

Jumin was speechlessly staring at her, eyes widened in shock. His assistant could clearly see the colors of the sunrise outside reflected on his dark eyes, making them look lighter.

Jaehee tilted her head again. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Han...?" she asked, purely perplexed.

The raven-haired man finally snapped back to reality, blinking. "No," he said blankly, turning around and leaving.

Jaehee frowned slightly; she was confused since she was sure she saw a slight tint on his cheeks before he moved away. Was he embarrassed?

She shook her head at her own thoughts, deeming them impossible.

Meanwhile, Jumin was feeling something burst with joy inside of him. Of course, he wouldn't let anybody know that.

* * *

Jaehee was more than surprised when Jumin told her to come with him to the meeting. Normally, in special, confidential assemblies such as this, she just had to stay at the office for the rest of the day; taking care of less important paperwork and waiting for him to come back while reassigning his schedule; after all, she was just an assistant, she supposed.

But Jumin had decided to bring her with him this time, and even though it wasn't completely unfamiliar to her, it did make her quite nervous.

"It's an honor to see you again, Mr. Lee," Jumin greeted before he and Jaehee simultaneously bowed down in respect.

The round old man laughed in response. "The honor is mine, Mr. Han," he replied before enthusiastically shaking hands with Jumin after he lifted his head again. "I see we're having an agreement here?"

"Indeed," Jumin nodded, while Jaehee stiffly fidgeted with her hands.

"In that case, I believe you fully have the right to look around and see what you'll be soon acquiring," Mr. Lee said, grinning widely at him. "I have to admit I'm quite proud of this library, so go and inspect it as you like."

Jumin smiled ever so slightly, permitting himself to glance at the trembling brunette next to him. "Don't be nervous, Assistant Kang," he softly whispered in her ear, so only she could hear. Jaehee flinched a little feeling him suddenly so close to her, and slowly glanced back at him; her nerves calming down.

"Then let's get going," he gave her a nod, and waved at Mr. Lee. "Thank you for your warm welcome."

* * *

Pale fingers traced gently over the sideways pages of closed books, looking up with interest. "I wonder if there's any books on dark magic in here," Jumin wondered out loud.

Jaehee sighed. "Considering how antique and rare those are, I mostly doubt it."

"It still wouldn't hurt to try and look," he said, looking at her with something akin to an amused expression.

Jaehee wanted to sigh again, but instead shook her head slightly; yet a smile somehow made its way to her face as she walked closer to him. "I suppose..."

The lights above them began to falter, dimming repeatedly until they finally gave out complety as some sort of short circuit clearly occured. They uncouciously backed away into each other when everything surrounding them became pitch black.

"Huh?" Jumin uttered while Jaehee gasped beside him. "I see the lights went out."

"I can't see anything," she replied, "I hope this blackout isn't too serious..."

"Let's get out first and inform the director," the Corporate heir said nonchalantly, even if he couldn't see anything two inches apart from his nose...

Which was probably what caused him to bump into Jaehee as he turned around.

"Ow!" she muttered, while stroking her head.

"I apologize," he told her worriedly; he wished he could see her clearly right now to make sure she was alright.

"It's fine..." she responded, before taking two step forwards (which Jumin also did) causing them to bump into each other again.

The two sighed deeply. 'This isn't going to work...' they thought at the same time.

"Assistant Kang, try to extend your hand," he told her, "that way we'll be able to relocate each other more easily."

"A-alright." Jaehee followed the suggestion, extending her arm. But it didn't stretch too far, since it immediately hit something. Confusedly, she softly passed her hands over it until they finally reached something familiar: the tie.

"Assistant Kang," Jumin coughed awkwardly, "that's my chest."

Jaehee couldn't help but blush, for once glad he wasn't able to see her face. "My apologies!" she exclaimed. But before she could pull away her hand, Jumin took a hold of it gently.

"It's fine," he said, "At least we've finally found each other." Then he calmly led her away by the hand, until they were able to find a long table situated nearby; apparently for people to sit down and read.

The pair sighed in relief, and stayed in the same manner in silence until Jaehee looked down to their still linked hands and cleared her throat nervously. "Hm, Mr. Han..."

He glanced down as well; eyes windening in realization. "Oh, I'm sorry," he quickly let go of her, awkwardly putting his elbows over the table and holding his head with his hands.

Jaehee felt awkward as well, but brushed it off to take her phone from her pocket and turn on her flashlight. Finally her and Jumin were able to see each other's faces, as well as their near surroundings.

Jumin looked at her with surprise and a tinge of amazement, though. "How did you do that?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, it's just my phone's flashlight..." she said with nervousness.

Jumin still seemed confused. "Is there a function for that?"

"Yes," she couldn't help but chuckle slightly. He really didn't know about technology. "Don't worry, it took me a while to find it as well." She showed it to him, somehow marvelling the young man.

He managed to turn on his own flashlight, illuminating the room even more.

Jaehee smiled. "Since we have light now, maybe it'll be easier to find the exit."

"This library was built on the base of technology," the corporate director said, "Most of the doors are elevators. Because of the blackout, none of them function."

"So we're basically trapped here?!" Jaehee exclaimed, losing all hope of escaping.

"Yes..." Jumin nodded, while momentarily glancing at her. "But at least we're trapped together..."

Jaehee turned towards him for a moment, not knowing exactly what he meant with that expression.

She huffed out a puff of air in frustration. "I suppose that's true." It was someway a relief. "And perhaps we can still inspect the books." She got up; holding her phone in one of her hands.

Enthusiastically, she passed by tall bookshelves, looking for something in particular. She pulled out a book that made her gasp in pleasant surprise. Jumin looked at her with confusion because of how excited she seemed while paging through this book.

"Did you find something interesting, Assistant Kang?"

She jumped slightly, as if caught red-handed. "No... well, hm..." she fumbled. "It is interesting for me, but I'm not sure if it's of your liking..." she admitted.

"In that case, it interests me as well," he got up, approaching her curiously.

"It's a romance book," she said sheepishly.

"Huh?" Romance? He remembered not so long ago she used to think of love as an idialistic fantasy of some sort that would only drag Zen's career down and thus she distrusted.

But he supposed she must have gotten an eye-opener some weeks ago if the subject caught her attention... It was the reason she was leaving his side, after all...

"Forgive me for my bluntness, but I don't see what you find interesting in those kind of novels," he admitted, resolving to sitting right beside her.

"Being honest," she started, "What I truly like about these novels... well..." She paused a bit to think, looking upwards.

"When I read them, it feels as if there really is still good in this messed up world. Love is such a simple yet complicated thing, don't think? It's so complicated that before I couldn't even understand the mere concept of such strong affections..."

Jumin nodded as he listened to her rant, interested in her opinion.

"...It's just—" She gave him an awkward shrug after a while. "I enjoy the purity of it."

"Purity," the black-haired man repeated. "Purity seems to wear off after childhood..." This was starting to bring back memories he'd rather forget.

Jaehee agreed with a solemn nod of her own before giving in to a self-conscious smile. "Sorry for rambling so much..." she apologized.

"I didn't mind," Jumin stated genuinely; he was still comfortably gazing at her face. "You have a really nice voice... It's quite soothing." Her voice really was beautiful. 


	19. My Friend

Jaehee held the flashlight beneath both of their feet, while Jumin remained close to her as they walked aimlessly through the halls. "I still can't understand why you wanted to come with me, Mr. Han… you would be perfectly fine on your own," the assistant commented with a sideways gaze.

"I'd rather be in your company," was his simple reply. "I wonder what everyone in the RFA is doing…" he trailed off, comfortably shoving his hands into his pockets. 

Jaehee agreed with a soft hum. "Perhaps we should check on them," she suggested. 

* * *

**[Jumin Han has entered the chatroom]**

**[Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom]**

**707:** …And _that's_ how I got banned from Disneyland!! 

**Yoosung:** Please don't do that ever again. 

**Zen:** Whoa! Speaking of the devil… 

**Jumin:** By devil, you don't refer to me, do you? 

**Zen:** Nah, that would be offensive to the devil. 

**Jumin:** Why are you the way you are? 

**Yoosung:** lololol he just logged in and Zen's already attacking him

 **Jumin:** Your remarks are particularly insulting today. I wonder, are you perhaps jealous of me?

 **Zen:** Lol I'm shocked you're even capable of "feeling" offended. I thought you couldn't insult robots. 

**Zen:** Also, _jealous_?? In your dreams, Trust-Fund Kid!! 

**Jaehee:** Hello? I am also here. 

**Zen:** Oh, sorry, Jaehee!

 **Jumin:** You may be rude to me, but don't be rude to my assistant. 

**Zen:** I wouldn't dream of it. Unlike you, Jaehee is actually a respectable person, with _feelings_. Anyway, how is it going with you, Jaehee? 

**Jaehee:** ...I'm fine.

 **707:** Not drowning in piles of work?!?! 

**Jaehee:** Actually, me and Mr. Han are at the library. 

**Yoosung:** Doing some kind of project? 

**Jaehee:** No, we're just-

 **Jumin:** Hanging out. Is that what you call it? 

**Yoosung:** W- w- wait. Hanging out as… _Not_ working?? 

**Jaehee:** Um, yes. 

**Yoosung:** Like… As _friends_?

 **Jumin:** Ya. 

**Yoosung:** You can do that?!?! 

**Jaehee:** What is wrong with it? 

**Jumin:** What is wrong with it?

* * *

Jumin and Jaehee immediately turned at each other with eyes as wide as plates, and amidst their surprised staring, Jaehee started laughing. At first muffled, she let herself laugh out loud a bit when Jumin couldn't help but chuckle as well.

* * *

**707:** Their minds are even connected now!! 

**Yoosung:** Isn't it weird hanging out with your boss?? 

**Zen:** Obviously! I'm sure Jumin dragged Jaehee there to look for books for his cat or something lol

 **Jaehee:** Actually-

 **Zen:** Why would she want to waste her time with the Trust Fund Kid of all people? -_-

* * *

Jaehee suddenly found herself in a difficult spot. Even though she loved Zen more than her own life, she didn't like how he was treating Jumin today. _"Why does he hate him so much?"_ she wondered with a clear frown. As far as she knew, the guy had never done anything to him. 

"Assistant Kang, are you alright? You're glaring at your phone." Jumin looked at her with a worried face. 

"It's just… I believe Zen is being quite harsh right now," she admitted, her grip on her cellphone tightening. 

"Oh." Jumin realised. "I'm used to it. It's just the way Zen is…" His eyes shifted away; and she could tell by his upset voice, he really wasn't used to it as he said.

* * *

**Jaehee:** Zen, please don't take it the wrong way when I tell you this, but…

 **Zen:** Huh? What is it? 

**Jaehee:** Please stop talking about Mr. Han in such a manner. He _does_ have feelings, and as any other person, they get hurt when you're constantly insulting them for no reason in particular.

 **Zen:** ?!? 

**Jaehee:** I'm sorry if I come off strange, but I do enjoy spending time with Mr. Han as much as any member of the RFA… We're… 

* * *

She wasn't sure how to finish her sentence. She could see from the corner of her eye how Jumin's eyes widened and the color of his face changed. 

She gulped down this odd feeling in her gut, and decided to type the last words.

* * *

**Jaehee:** We're friends. 

**707:** What the actual frack is happening today 

**707:** Is it Opposite Day already and I didn't know?? 

**707:** Or maybe April Fools?? Is it your b-day Zen?! 

**Yoosung:** We're in October, Seven ;;

* * *

While the conversation occured in the chat, Jumin and Jaehee paid no attention to it. He was smiling at her; grateful, and admittedly giddy inside. And she smiled back. 

As if some magic of fate, the lights returned. The library's hallways became fully illuminated again. And as both corporate heir and assistant looked out the window they could see it had quickly become nightfall. 

They both felt that tinge of disappointment their little escape was over.

* * *

"Have a good night, Assistant Kang," Jumin told her sincerely while dropping her off at her home. "I… greatly appreciated being your friend," he said, a small happy smile forming over his face again. 

Jaehee chuckled softly, returning the same expression. "Me too. We should do it again." 

Jumin nodded, and she gave him a last peek before closing the door. 

He stood there for a few more seconds, smiling to himself like a dork, when another voice caught him red-handed. 

"Jumin… What are you doing in your assistant's house so late at night?" a sly feminine voice teased. 

He quickly turned around with shocked silver eyes and his mouth half open. He wasn't able to say a word at the sight. 

"Could it be true that you two _really_ are dating?" she muttered, blue eyes narrowed. "Gross. I just thought it was paparazzi being imaginative."

"Echo Girl… Were you following me?" he questioned, his own eyes narrowed in a more threatening way. 

She giggled into her palm, obviously amused. "Why would I? I was just taking a ride with my daddy." 

"That's correct." A short, stubby man appeared from behind her with a cunning grin. "I had no other choice but to look for you, son. I believe your father informed you of our meeting already?" 

Jumin sighed, shifting his face to the side with irritation. "Yes. He did," he replied curtly. "What do you want?" 

"I want a little alliance," Mr. Choi said, looking just as innocent and happy as a blackmailer could. "Me and your father arranged a marriage between you and my sweetie Kyungju. If you two lovebirds get married, our companies would be tied together… We could get some benefits out of that." 

"But not nearly enough ones," Jumin stated, redirecting his glare at him. "I will not agree to any arranged marriages." 

"Eh…?" Mr. Choi elongated his fake gasp. "Why not, son?" 

"Because I'm already committed to another woman," Jumin responded before crossing his arms. He wasn't going to get married to anyone if it wasn't Jaehee; it was the only hope of her not leaving the company after all. 

"Pft?!" Echo Girl almost choked on her own spit. "What the he— You liar! You don't even have a girlfriend!" 

"She's not my girlfriend yet…" he admitted, his firm gaze wavering for a second before returning just as determined. "But I'm hoping she will be." 

"B- but—" 

Then he turned around and walked away. 


	20. How Things Have Changed

Jumin raised a confused eyebrow when he heard Jaehee sneeze quite loudly as she was about to leave his office. "Assistant Kang... are you okay?" he asked with instant worry.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." She attempted to hide her upcoming cold, "It's just, I'm, _huh_... allergic to dust," she lied with a wide, fake smile. 

Jumin narrowed his eyes at her, clearly suspicious. "Really? You didn't have any allergies before." 

"Well... there's many things you don't know about me, Mr. Han," she told him with a nervous face, clearly trying to change the subject. If she got sick and was dismissed from work, then her pity days at C&R would last even longer until her resign... 

Then she tidied up the documents in her hands neatly, and marched off. 

Meanwhile the Ceo-in-line stared at her with a guilty expression. _"She's right... there's many things I do not know."_ This fact made him unhappy, and he clearly wished to change it. 

He turned on his chair and grabbed his phone before entering the RFA chatroom. He decided that would be no longer the case, as he tapped on 707's number. Nobody better than an eccentric hacker with too much time in his hands to uncover someone.

* * *

During lunch break, Jaehee sat next to Mi-Cha while each of them had a lunch box in front of them. Before, Jaehee wasn't eating properly and Jumin had become deeply concerned about her health, so he built an entire cafeteria in the building so she wouldn't have any problems getting healthy, high-quality food and replenishing her energy. Other employees were allowed, but even to the five-star cooks, he had stated his assistant was the main priority. 

Jaehee found out about all this literally five seconds before it was inaugurated when Jumin "casually" told her about it and suggested that they both should go eat there sometime. Jaehee stared at him incredulously and called witchcraft on his actions, but he just looked at her with an innocent, confused face and sweetly said "he was merely worried about her well-being." Pfft, _right_! As if Jaehee would believe that! 

She didn't believe it… did she?! 

"Oh, God, I _believe_ it," she mind-absently muttered, mouth full of rice. _"Just goes to show how much things have changed between me and Jumin. Wait. Did I just call him Jumin?!"_

"Eh? Believe what?" Mi-Cha asked with a tilted head, looking at Jaehee like she was crazy (which she kind of was at this point). 

"H-huh…! _Nothing_!" She immediately contradicted herself, turning her face away with a bright blush that told MC the truth. The long-haired girl stared at her friend hopelessly: Jaehee really denied obvious things too much for her own sanity!

Suddenly, as if luck struck Jaehee, her phone rang. This time she swallowed before speaking, "Hello?" 

"Jaehee!" She heard a familiar, yet kind of distant male voice through the other line.

"This is…?" 

"Jaehee…" The young man sounded disbelieving she didn't recognize him. "It's me, _Zen_." 

Jaehee quickly did a double take, nearly jumping on her chair. "Z-Zen?!" she stammered, taken aback as her blush spread even further. 

"Yeah." She could imagine him smiling charmingly. "I'm kind of disappointed you forgot about me so quickly…" 

"No, no!" She accidentally shouted. "No, I-I mean— I'd never forget you, Zen," she sincerely told him, a happy smile forming on her face. Her all-time idol had called her! He was _speaking_ to her! 

Sure, Zen had always kept contact with her since they both were RFA members, but he had _never_ called her personally! The sudden fluttering inside her heart was an understandment. 

But as if to ruin the moment, her cold got to her and she burst into a sneeze just right next to the loudspeaker. 

"Whoa, Jaehee! That was _harsh_!" the silver-haired actor exclaimed with surprise. "Are you okay?!" 

"Y-yeah, I am—"

"This isn't the Cat Jerk's fault, is it—" he bellowed in anger before unexpectedly stopping himself. "Sorry, huh, nevermind…" 

Jaehee was extremely confused at this, and even more so when Zen sighed in defeat and his voice became all lively again. "... Alright. You stay there at the office, I'm coming there." 

If Jaehee felt her heart was out of control before, she definitely had high blood pressure now. "W-w- _what_?!" she shrieked. 

"You heard me!" Zen stated, all firm and serious. "I'll get you something for your cold!" 

"Y-you don't have to…" 

"I _will_. Do you have a fever?"

"Well…" Jaehee didn't want to lie anymore. She sighed. "Yes… and my head hurts a bit as well…" 

"Alright. If the Cat Jer— Huh, I mean, Jumin Han won't let you leave work, then I'll heal you right there!" She could almost see him smirking with a hearty wink. "Leave it up to me!" 

"W-wait, Zen—" Too late. He hung up.

* * *

" _Eeeeee_! I'm going to die! I'm going to _freaking_ die right now, Jaehee!" Mi-Cha squealed so hard everyone else's eardrums nearly exploded. 

"I'm still not sure about this…" Jaehee murmured with a nervous expression, rubbing one of her arms for support. _"Oh, no! I'm going to freaking die, too! I can't believe Zen is doing this—"_ Were the woman's inner, excited thoughts, completely contrasting her face. 

The two fangirls held in their screams of joy when Zen opened the office door, all casual and friendly. It was rare the occasion Jaehee got to appreciate Zen's beauty from up close like this. 

"Such a boy-next-door vibe," she whispered to her friend with a growing grin. 

"I know, right. So cute," the other whispered back, unable to hold herself in place as the young man approached them. "He's coming _this_ way!" MC panicked, now jumping up and down. 

"Shh! Calm down!" Jaehee pressured her, not wanting Hyun to get the wrong idea of all this. Then she gasped as he was just a few meters away. 

" _Act natural_!" she ordered Mi-Cha before "casually" putting her elbow and her left foot over a desk and pushing away her hair with a wide grin and starry eyes. MC immediately copied her position. 

"Jaehe—" Zen was about to greet them before his eyes widened and he stared at them strangely. "Erm… are you okay?" he asked with concern as he stared at the two weird girls. 

"O-oh, yeah!" Mi-Cha answered for Jaehee, standing up straight and making the chief assistant drop her act as well. "It's just the fever! Gets to your head, ya know?" 

"So… you have a fever, too?" Zen asked with pure confusion. 

"W-well… if that means you also get to take care of me…" She chuckled with a lovestruck expression. Jaehee stared at her with eyes that exclaimed "seriously?". 

Luckily, Zen took her attempt at flirting well, laughing. "Sure. But first I gotta take care of the real patient," he winked at Jaehee with a smile, which made the brunette blush like a beet. "C'mon, Jaehee, let's go. By the way, nice to meet you…?" 

"Mi-Cha! Your _biggest_ , most adoring fan!" the girl of long bangs exclaimed joyously. 

Jaehee frowned at her once again. _"That's me!"_ she thought with some kind of possessiveness, before giggling it off and shaking her head at her best friend.

* * *

"So, what have you found?" Jumin asked 707 as if both of the where in some sort of vital, secret investigation. 

"I hacked into her phone!" Seven exclaimed with pride. "And I found something real cute," he said with a sing-songy voice. 

Jumin wasn't sure if he was comfortable with the thought of Seven stalking Jaehee. "I'm too afraid to ask." 

"Then I'll tell you without asking!" Seven cheered. "Jaehee has a gazillion pictures of you on her camera roll." 

Jumin almost choked; this couldn't possibly be true, right? " _What_?" 

Knowing Jumin wouldn't believe him, the hacker sent him a screenshot so he could see for himself. 

And believe it or not, it _was_ true. 

Now that he thought about it, most of the photos of himself he had seen, had been taken by Jaehee. Since she was with him almost 24/7, and she didn't take horribly blurry pictures as he did, it made plenty of sense. 

There were photos of him working, with Elizabeth, photos of them together, photos of him sleeping…

Wait, what. 

"Why am I asleep in some of these photos?" he asked with puzzlement. 

"Looks like you aren't the only stalker around, Mr. Trust-Fund Stalker." 

"I'm not a stalker." Jumin defended himself, vexed. "I'm merely…. ahem… _investigating_ about her."

* * *

Meanwhile, Zen was sitting next to Jaehee in the cafeteria as he delicately put some drops of medicine on a spoon before smiling at her. "Here." 

"Oh, t-thanks," she nervously stammered before trying to take the spoon. 

"Don't worry about it, open your mouth," he ordered her with a strict but playful tone. 

"E-err, excuse me?!" She started blushing again. Dammit, Zen and his overly conventional cuteness!

Despite her embarrassment she complied and he gently fed her the medicine. "Done!" He smiled again. Jaehee felt like she was going to explode from happiness. 

"Now you should rest and not force yourself too much," he advised. "Otherwise, your headache could get worse." He sighed. "I wish he would let you take a day off, it'd be much better." 

"Being honest…" she started, fully swallowing the bitter medicine. "I'm glad he didn't make me take the day off." 

"Eh?!" Zen exclaimed with surprise. "Did you get replaced by an alien, Jaehee?!" he half-jokingly said. 

She chuckled along. "If he did, then I would have to stay more days working later," she explained. "I want to finish this contract as soon as possible!" 

"Can't you just make him fire you?" Hyun asked, his silver ponytail moving alongside his head. "Like, giving dog food to his cat, maybe," he suggested with a smirk. 

Jaehee laughed slightly. "If I did that, he wouldn't fire me. He would _sue_ me." Then she stared at the ground with a bittersweet smile. "And… even if I convinced him to let me go early, my resume would be too negatively affected by that." 

"Ah, I see. You have no choice then," Zen sighed sorrowfully. "Hey, don't worry. Your friend Mi-Cha seems capable, she's probably a good replacement! Just a few months more and _voila_ , you're gone to live life!" 

Jaehee looked up at him with something akin to conflict inside her head. "I'm sure…"

* * *

" _Wait_ , I've seen that book before." Jumin's silver eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

"Yeah?" 707 sounded bemused. "Which one?" 

"The sketchbook. The one with red and white stripes." 

Seven looked further into it and expanded the image. It was a photo of Jaehee smiling to the camera while she took a picture of her room, the book over the bedside table. "Where have you seen it before? Looks vintage," Seven said. 

Jumin's eyebrows creased more as he thought deeply. "... When I was a child." 


	21. I Can Help You

"Where have you seen it before? Looks vintage," Seven said. 

Jumin's eyebrows creased more as he thought deeply. "... When I was a child." 

Jumin could hear Luciel spit out his Ph. D. Pepper with disbelief. "What?! How possibly—" 

Before Jumin could think about the strange memories in his head any further, he saw someone familiar exiting the building with a big, satisfied grin on their face. 

He saw long, silver hair. He knew who it was. 

"What the hell is he doing here?" he muttered under his breath while Seven still panicked over the sketchbook. 

Turns out Zen felt his gaze throwing daggers at him, because he turned around with wide red eyes, that then narrowed into a glare. 

He walked inside the C&R building again, this time clearly angry. 

* * *

Zen didn't even bother to knock when he burst into Jumin's office; lucky for him, Jaehee wasn't around, working with some documents in another department. "Hey, jerk," Zen bellowed with his hands shoved down his pockets, "Anything you want to say to me?" 

Jumin just glanced at the younger man from the corner of his eye, trying to give him no attention. "You need an appointment to speak to me." 

"Oh, I don't need an appointment," Zen told him as his eyes narrowed even more. "I'm just here to waste your time… warning you to take better care of your assistant." 

Jumin raised a puzzled eyebrow. "What's wrong with Assistant Kang?" he asked with confusion. 

"What's wrong…?" Zen scoffed at him. "She has a fever!" 

Jumin's grey eyes widened. "But she said she's okay." 

"Well, she's not! You gotta be more careful!" Zen nagged him again, then he paused for a while. "Listen… you know I haven't been in the RFA chatroom for a long time, right?" 

"Not really. I don't exactly care how many times you log in," Jumin admitted. Truth to be said, he was actually more worried about V being missing for so long without explanation again. 

Zen rolled his eyes with an annoyed huff. "Self-centered as usual," he murmured before rising his voice again. "The reason I've been absent all this time… is because I've been thinking over what Jaehee told me about you that day." 

"What day?" 

"The day… you two went to the library remember? And she said… you were her friend," Zen said while running a hand through his white hair. "You know Jaehee doesn't say things like that lightly, if she considers you her friend, she must really like you…" 

He scoffed again, this time at himself. "Especially since she told me off for being my usual self around you. Jaehee normally never does stuff like that," he said with an ironic smile. "Honestly, I can't get her out my head lately, it's weird." 

Jumin just silently stared at him with a suspicious gaze; which kind of irked the actor. 

"But know I still hate you!" Zen expressed. "And the fact you can't take good care of the person you won't let go to be free makes me hate you even more." 

For the first time ever, Jumin glared back at Zen. Just as deathly. Zen had unknowingly pierced a weak spot of Jumin's: Jaehee's happiness around him. "...I don't want you lurking around C&R ever again. You're no longer welcome," he stated with a firm, decisive voice. 

"Especially since you're here just to waste my time, which I have no luxury of letting you do." He got up with his arms crossed and passed by him, his tall shoulder grazing Zen's. 

The silver-haired man looked at the corporate heir with shocked eyes before turning around with gritted teeth. "Hey, jerk." 

Jumin didn't answer, but turned around just slightly with the same icy cold glare. Zen couldn't hold back anymore and threw a punch directly to his face. 

When she heard the sound of fighting, Mi-Cha ran into her boss's studio only to stare, dismayed, at the two men in front of her. 

Zen had punched Jumin twice, while the raven-haired man struggled to keep him off him, not wanting to hit him back. He got thrown to the floor by the actor, and he saw how Zen was ready to go for a third strike; so he raised his arm with a balled fist, prepared to punch back even if he had never gotten into a brawl before. 

"Zen! Mr. Han!" MC shrieked, "Stop it! Please stop fighting!" 

The two finally returned to reality when they got separated by another employee walking into the room. "Mr. Han! Should I call security?!" he asked but Jumin shook his head. 

"No." 

Zen didn't say another word, throwing a last glare at Jumin and apologizing to Mi-Cha before leaving. 

* * *

It was late at night and Jaehee was finally at home watching Zen's musicals on her TV screen. She smiled with glee while staring at her idol perform but got up to get herself some quick food so she could keep watching. 

After drinking the medicine, she felt much better now and she made a mental note to give a thank you gift to Zen in return later when somebody rang the doorbell. "Huh? Who could it be at 8 o'clock?" she wondered aloud before opening the door. 

She was more than surprised to see her boss just standing in front of her, with a bloody bruise in the corner of his lips and a nearly black eye. 

"M-Mr. Han?!" she exclaimed, nearly stumbling back. "What happened?!" 

Jumin didn't directly reply, just stared behind her and peeked inside her apartment. "Can I come in?" he asked softly. 

Without giving it a second thought, Jaehee nodded nervously, stepping aside so the man could walk in. 

"So this is your place," he said while glancing around at the neat, but small home. "It looks nice," he complimented. 

"T-Thanks… but what's really important right now is why your face is so bruised," the assistant said with a really worried expression. 

Jumin didn't exactly want to talk about it, and she noticed when he merely glanced away with uneasy eyes. She sighed. 

"Alright, wait here. I have some cotton and alcohol," the brunette said while signaling him to the couch in the living room and walking into the bathroom to get her first-aid kit. 

Jumin sat down and his assistant was back as fast as lightning. She grabbed his face with one of her hands, putting herself right in front of him, and with the other hand started pressing the cotton ball over his injury with care and precision. 

The two couldn't help but stare at each other during the whole process, all tensed up and awkward; after all, their noses were barely centimeters away from each other. But Jaehee tried (and failed) to pay no mind to those piercing, bright silver eyes looking straight through her soul. 

After a while of unconsciously getting lost in each other's gaze, they finally snapped out of it when Jaehee glanced away timidly. "I-I'm done." 

"Oh, I see." Jumin saw how she moved away from him and disappointment seeped into his voice. 

"A-Anyway," Jaehee coughed into her hand to stop her stammering. "Do you want some tea? Have you eaten yet, Mr. Han?" 

"That would be very kind of you," Jumin politely said, getting up from the sofa to follow her. 

"Don't worry about it," she jokingly replied, walking into the kitchen to heat up the kettle. 

Meanwhile, the corporate heir couldn't help but get distracted, glancing at all the interesting stuff laying around Jaehee's house: some stuffed animals, perfectly organized books and documents, at least sixty musical DVDs, and various, recently bought romance novels. 

One of them caught him by surprise. "An ordinary love?" he questioned aloud, talking about the book's title. 

"Eh! Mr. Han!" Jaehee shouted, embarrassed to see him snooping around her books. Hopefully, he hadn't read anything inside. She managed to take the novel out of his hands and smile sheepishly at him. "You already know I'm a fan of these kinds of books…" 

"Yes," Jumin nodded, serious about the matter, "But I don't understand why something so 'ordinary' would interest you. Wouldn't you want something unique? Extraordinary?" 

"Erm, you see…" Jaehee looked at him with a still embarrassed face, but took a deep breath to calm down. "What I want is a completely ordinary romance with an ordinary guy. I just want something stable and normal like that," she admitted. 

"Hmm… I see," Jumin whispered while reflecting this on his mind. 

Then something else caught his attention. Inside Jaehee's open room, the Elizabeth the 3rd giant plushie on her bed was turned upside down! 

"What a travesty!" he thought to himself with horror while quickly approaching the toy with the intent of turning it around. "Why is she facing downwards?" 

Then Jaehee remembered something that horrified her: her childhood sketchbook was right under that thing! If Mr. Han saw it, he'd never take her seriously again! 

"No…!" Jaehee yelled, and everything seemed to go in slow-motion as she rushed to reach Jumin's hand before he could touch the white cat. 

Jumin turned at her with sheer confusion, wondering why she was so scared all of the sudden when she swiftly grabbed his hand and the two went tumbling down, accidentally falling over the bed with Jaehee landing right on top of an astonished Jumin Han. 


	22. Ramen And Kimchi

"No…!"

Before either of them knew it, the boss and assistant fell on the latter's bed; Jaehee was suddenly on top of Jumin, who stared at with the most shaken eyes she had ever seen before. To be fair, hers were just as shocked.

The two couldn't speak or move for what seemed like an eternity, until finally, Jumin seemed to react. His silver-like eyes were still wide, but they relaxed even if just a bit. Taking Jaehee by surprise, his arms took hold of her back, entrapping her in a warm hug.

His assistant's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets at the unexpected action when he pleaded, in a really low voice, "Let's stay like this for a moment."

Jaehee complied, letting her head rest over his shoulder as he gently caressed her brown hair, even though inwardly she felt as if her heart was about to turn into a bomb and explode, killing both of them, from how hard it was beating.

"Assistant Kang…" He started, his deep voice now a whisper in her ear, "I… I want to love you. I wish for it so much I don't know what to do with myself," he softly confessed, and Jaehee's head immediately shot upwards to directly stare at the man with a flabbergasted look on her now red face.

Jumin's eyes widened with panic. "It's from one of your romance novels," he lied, his gaze shifting away from hers as his cheeks turned pink.

"...Oh." Was all Jaehee was able to stammer in response. She couldn't believe that she was disappointed. And even though Jumin said that, the heat all over her body still wouldn't disappear.

"Oh! _Oh_ , God!" She rose up from him, ending their embrace. "The kettle must be boiling by now!" She chuckled awkwardly before rushing to the kitchen.

Jumin tried to chuckle too, as he sat up on the bed, but it came out just as clumsy as hers.

* * *

The corporate heir now sat in front of the small table in Jaehee's living room, still feeling nervous over what happened minutes ago, but managing to put on a blank mask once again (though it resulted to be very difficult).

Jaehee was in the same situation while she put two cups with green tea in front of both of them. "Mr. Han, since you haven't had dinner yet, I thought you wouldn't mind if I made some ramen."

"Ramen?" Jumin questioned, unfamiliar with the word. "Aren't they some kind of commoner noodles?"

Jaehee let out a small laugh. "Yes, commoner noodles," she joked while setting a plate down for him to see. "I suppose that's what they're called between rich people." She rolled her eyes with an ironic smile.

"Well… I normally don't consume food that's mostly composed of additives and artificial flavors, but since you made it…" He looked up at her with a grateful, sincere smile. "I'll be glad to try it."

Leaning down, he grabbed the chopsticks and slurped down the ramen as politely as he could before lifting his head. "It tastes good," he told her, but he didn't seem too convinced.

Jaehee noticed this and pushed another, smaller plate in front of him. "Try it with some kimchi. Everyone eats it that way," she said with a sideways smile. Jumin stared at the food confusedly before Jaehee grabbed some with her own chopsticks and put it inside his ramen.

With Jaehee urging him to eat, Jumin took the mix of spicy flavors into his mouth and his eyes instantly widened at the discover of how impossibly delicious it tasted now. For a second forgetting his tight manners, he leaned down and finished it all in one try.

He heard Jaehee stifling a giggle and glanced up at her with an embarrassed expression which Jaehee found surprisingly cute.

* * *

The two talked for some time more when Jumin looked outside the window and told her he should take his leave since it was getting extremely late already, and she reproached herself for forgetting what hour it was.

She walked the raven-haired man to the door so he could go back home, as Driver Kim was waiting for him outside. "Thank you for everything, Assistant Kang," he said with a slight bow.

"I-It's fine," she replied with a smile, "Just remember to put some ice over your eye when you get home! It could get inflamed," she reminded him.

"Of course." He nodded, happy that she cared so much for his well-being. "Remember to go to sleep soon, Assistant Kang. Don't overwork yourself."

She nodded and he smiled at her one last time before closing the door. Immediately, Jaehee leaned against it, sighing. Well, that… that felt good.

Her fingers reached up to touch her still hot cheeks, and she shook her head to try and get rid of the feeling. Jaehee stepped away to go and finish some documents so she could get her mind back on track, but somebody knocked on her door once again.

"Huh?" she exclaimed. "Could it be Jumin? But he didn't leave anything." She didn't realize she had just called her boss by his first name and opened the handle.

To her surprise, Yoosung was standing right in front of her with a wide grin and two white bags in his hands. "Jaehee! Nice to see you're still awake," he cheerfully said while inviting himself in.

"Wait— Yoo— Yoosung," the assistant stuttered, puzzled, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, I brought some fried chicken," he told her with a shrug. Then his eyes wandered behind the woman; he saw two black plates still set on her table, which seemed really suspicious. "Someone was visiting you this late at night?" he asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I should be the one asking _you_ that!" Jaehee responded, still confused and now also annoyed.

"That's different," he huffed with a pout, "I'm basically your baby brother."

Jaehee gave up with a sigh: he was right. "It… it was Mr. Han."

Yoosung gasped loudly with shock. "What?! Jaehee!" He chided while shooting her an overprotective look. "Don't you know you shouldn't have a guy so late in your house?!" he nagged her with worry.

Jaehee stared him with eyes that screamed, " _seriously_?!" but glanced away with a sheepish smile. "He… he was just passing by."

Yoosung sighed and his concern became obvious. "I'm starting to think you may have feelings for Jumin, Jaehee."

The fact that this suspicion came out of the complete blue made Jaehee stagger. "Wh- wh- what are you talking about?! Of course not!" she immediately denied.

Yoosung's eyes narrowed again; he clearly wasn't buying it. He sat down on the couch and Jaehee followed sitting next to him with her legs crossed over the chair. He started eating some chicken and offered some to her, who bashfully took some.

"Jaehee, you remember that video from 'Incredibly Unlikely Loves' I posted in the chatroom yesterday?" he asked with a suspicious glint on his violet eyes. "The one of the cat and the bird."

"Eh?" Jaehee looked at him before touching her chin and thinking deeply. "Yes… I believe I do," she replied, having no idea where this conversation was going.

"Yeah, you remember!" Yoosung smiled widely, "That cat was so in love with the parakeet and what was even weirder was that the bird loved the cat back! They were always together, the bird preened the cat's whiskers and the cat groomed the bird… even though naturally they should be mortal enemies."

"Oh, right…?" Jaehee's eyebrows creased with bemusement.

"But they fell in love! Do you know what that reminds me of…?" Yoosung hinted with a quick glance at the brunette. Seeing how she just kept staring at him without an answer, he sighed deeply. "Of you and Jumin."

"You think we're a cat and a bird?"

"No, I think you're two completely different species!" he clarified. "You live in two completely different worlds, and you have completely different lives!"

Jaehee stared at him with something akin to hurt, so Yoosung rushed to explain himself. "For example… while you and I, people who grew up in the middle class without any extravagance, love the taste of fried stuff, like fried chicken," he told her with all seriousness.

"People like Jumin, who grew up rich with all the extravagance in the world, would just look at it and be like, 'Why are you eating something so unhealthy and harmful instead of rising the stock market and being useful?'" He finished his metaphor.

Seeing that Jaehee's expression just fell even more, he gulped before continuing. "What I mean is… we don't understand each other. He wouldn't understand you. And that would mean that he could hurt you more easily without realizing," he said quietly, glancing away, "I don't want you to get hurt, so that's why I'm saying this…"

Jaehee's gaze slowly met with his, and she looked at him with disapproval. "I know, Yoosung, and I greatly appreciate it," she replied sincerely, "But… this is my problem."

Yoosung's eyes widened and he managed to nod respectfully but feeling heavy inside. "I understand… just… be careful, Jaehee. I'm really worried about you."

After Yoosung left some time afterwards, and Jaehee let herself fall into a slump, holding her legs tightly against her chest, while she hid her face under her arms. Her heart hurt. And she knew what Yoosung said was true.

* * *

When Jumin returned to his penthouse, he let himself uncharacteristically land on his bed with a thud, absentmindendly staring at the ceiling.

He was surprised when he found himself thinking of Jaehee and smiling for no reason at all.


	23. Mr. Han's Confession

_"Get me out of here!" Jumin remembered shouting out as a young child, "Help! Let me out! Mother! Mother...!" He was crying desperately while banging on the door blocking him from escaping from this locked, dark small room._

_Nobody listened to his cries._

Jumin woke up with a start, cold sweat covering his forehead as he breathed heavily. Elizabeth the 3rd quickly approached him, clearly worried from her owner's frightened state. It was a nightmare again, Jumin realized as he leaned down to pet Elizabeth and calm his nerves.

The white cat purred in response, happy to get the man's attention. Jumin smiled slightly and gently took his cat between his arms, feeling the need of some kind of comfort.

These nightmares had been haunting him for years... Once he made a memory, it would never disappear, as much as he wished for it.

* * *

Jaehee was finished getting ready for another day of work, punctual as always. She took a swift sip of her black coffee and strode away before suddenly getting a text message.

"Come downstairs. I'm waiting for you," it mysteriously read.

She was more than confused until she read the name of the sender: Jumin Han. No, actually, now she was even more confused. She rushed to the window and opened the blinds to see the raven-haired man looking at her with a smile while leaning on his lavish car, his phone in one hand.

Jaehee nervously smiled back before practically flying down the stairs. "Mr. Han! What are you doing here?!" she asked when she finally reached him.

"I'll give you a ride to work," he told her, beaming.

"Eh- W-what?" she muttered. Her expression suddenly became worried. "...Where's Driver Kim?"

"I told him to rest today," Jumin said like it was nothing, "I'll drive."

"Oh, God, no..." Jaehee said with a low voice with utter fear. "Mr. Han. You can't drive."

"I'm not that terrible," he said with creased eyebrows, "I got some driving advice from V."

The assistant's eyes narrowed with doubt, but she ended up sighing and walking towards the vehicle. Surprising her, Jumin politely opened the car door for her. "Careful with your head," he considerately waited for her to get in before closing the door and sitting in the driver's seat, Jaehee next to him.

Jaehee nervously squirmed inside the car seat, avoiding Jumin's close gaze while, for some reason, he kept staring at her with this happy, uncharacteristic smile. "Have you had breakfast yet?" he inquired, while searching for something in the backseat.

"Um, no..." Jaehee admitted, glancing at him bashfully.

"Well, I brought some food for you," he said, as he held a huge basket in front of her. "I don't want you skipping meals, Assistant Kang."

"O-Oh, thank you," Jaehee managed to squeak out from the surprise. Was this even Jumin Han anymore?! She took out the food with awe. It all looked extremely expensive and elegant. "What is this?" she questioned with squinted eyes.

"Oh, nothing, just creme fraiche, mini brioche, Balik salmon and some Swiss chocolate truffles," he said with the most blank of faces, confused Jaehee had never tasted something like this before. "There's also orange juice, if you wish."

Jaehee choked on nothing while staring at him with eyes as wide as plates. This darn breakfast was literally worth thrice her salary! She almost didn't want to eat it. Almost. She started munching on the fluffy bread and Jumin smiled with satisfaction before turning on the car.

Jaehee flinched as the car suddenly speeded up. "Huuuh- Mr. Han?!"

"Yes?"

" _You're going to hit that lamp_ —!" Before she could even finish warning him, they already crashed into a tall lamppost, that thankfully didn't fall over them. "Oh, my God, Mr. Han—"

Jumin grabbed the pedal for going in reverse, and successfully managed to turn around only to speed up again and hit another nearby lamppost.

"..." Jaehee didn't say anything for a while, her heart rushing with fear for her and her boss's life. Her wide eyes turned towards him grimly, while her arms still desperately clung to the back of her seat. "Mr. Han, I'm sorry, but get out of the car. _Right now_."

Jumin gulped before anxiously acceding. Jaehee got out as well, and the two heard an elderly voice calling from behind. It was Driver Kim running towards them like there was no tomorrow.

"Driver Kim? What are you doing here?" Jumin asked, puzzled.

"I followed you, Mr. Han!" the chauffeur nagged him, "I knew this would happen!"

And so with Driver Kim's help, the two were able to get to the the C&R building... alive.

* * *

The boss and assistant hurried inside the building, and when the elevator opened, Jaehee stopped and waited for Jumin to get in. But he stopped as well, signaling his head towards the elevator with an amiable expression. Confused, she signaled for him to go in again, but he also signaled for her to go in as well.

And finally, she understood. "W-wait," the assistant stammered, nearly stumbling on her heels. "Me first?"

Jumin nodded, patiently waiting for her to comply. She attempted to hide her slight blush, quickly walking inside as Jumin followed behind her.

* * *

Then they passed by the staff and employees, and the CEO-in-line did something that surprised everybody. "Good morning everyone. I hope you have a highly efficient and enjoyable day of work!" he declared with that pleased smile still plastered on his face, freaking out the employees.

Jaehee just stood there for an extra second or two, watching him go with permanent shock.

"Mr. Han is in a good mood today?!" the employees muttered and gasped between themselves. "Did his cat give him a kiss or something?!"

And thus, more rumors about Mr. Han were created.

"Jaehee! Do you know why he's acting like this?!" Mi-Cha asked, extremely fidgety while she waited for a response.

"I... I don't know," Jaehee replied sincerely; unable to pinpoint exactly why Jumin was so darn happy. But despite it all, something inside her felt happy, too.

* * *

Later that day, Jaehee was finishing printing some documents when her phone began ringing. "Hello?" she said while she picked it up and put it over her shoulder next to her ear.

"Jaehee, are you still at work? Or are you on your break already?" Zen's voice asked through the speaker.

"Z-Zen! Oh, I-" Her paperwork nearly fell from her full arms. "N-Not yet. Is there something you want?"

"Yeah, I want to talk to you," he said, cheerful. "When are you free?"

"It's almost time for my break!" she said with a bright smile. "I'll meet you for lunch!"

He chuckled. "Sure."

Afterwards, just as they planned, Jaehee and Zen were soon dining in one of the nearby cafes.

"Here, Jaehee," Zen pointed to one of the empty seats for the brunette to sit on.

"Thank you," she stated before sitting down in front of him. "What is it you wanted to speak to me about Zen?"

"Oh, it's just..." The actor's red eyes widened a little. Jaehee suddenly began sneezing, her eyes watering. "Jaehee! Are you still sick?!"

"No, I'm not— Achoo!" She covered her nose with a napkin, "...Sick anymore."

"Then what..." Zen's eyes strayed towards the flower pot next to them: peonies. Jaehee kept repeatedly glancing at them while sniffling, and as a fellow allergic person, he got it.

"Hey, excuse me!" he called one of the bartenders, who instantly came to their aid. "Could you put these flowers somewhere else? This lady here is allergic to them."

The bartender nodded and took away the pot, relieving Jaehee of her sneezing. "Thank you so much... How did you know?"

He gave her a charming smile. "You kept looking at them and sneezing. I understand, it's the same for me and that furball."

Jaehee let out a small laugh. "You're always sensible like that."

Zen smiled at her. "That's kind of why I'm doing a small project right now, something slightly different from what I normally do..."

"Really?" Jaehee asked with interest.

"Yeah, and..." Zen scratched the back of his neck with embarrassment. "I kind of wanted advice from a corporate expert."

"Oh? Then Mr. Han would be a better person to ask rather than me," she immediately said without a second thought.

"Eh! No way I'm asking him!" Zen quickly exclaimed, glaring at the mere thought of Jumin. "You're a thousand times better than him."

"Hmm, so you want corporate advice, well... Now that I think about it, our company is in need of a new project as well," Jaehee suddenly began thinking out loud, "And not a cat project, definitely! An artistic project... maybe... Mr. Han would like that."

"Eh?! Why are we talking about that jerk again?!" Zen asked with a mix of worry and annoyance.

"Because Zen..." Her head shot up with a grin. "I believe you would make a perfect new project!"

Zen cocked his head to the side with confusion. "What?"

"An artist such as you...! You're art itself!" She exclaimed with joy and sparkles in her brown eyes. "We could include V, too! A C&R art collaboration!"

Zen nervously chuckled, not sure if he liked where this conversation was headed. "Ahem, well..."

"Please, Zen!" Jaehee pleaded, "Please agree to this, it could really benefit your career as well."

Zen looked at her for a moment with a conflicted face; but looking at her all starry-eyed and excited like that forced him to nod in agreement. "A-Alright."

Jaehee grinned at him. "I'll talk with Mr. Han!"

* * *

Back at work after her break, Jaehee walked inside Jumin's office with a new gleam now that she had spent time with her idol again. She closed the door behind her and approached Jumin, who smiled broadly at her return. "Assistant Kang. Do you have the papers that I need to sign?"

"Yes," Jaehee informed him, before leaving them on his desk. Unexpectedly, blood started dripping from one of her fingers and she winced.

"Assistant Kang! Are you okay?" Jumin immediately got up from his chair, taking on her injured hand and inspecting it with worry.

"I-It's nothing, I just got a papercut," she tried to reassure him, but he wasn't convinced.

"Wait here," he ordered before quickly checking his desk for something. He pulled out a cotton ball and some alcohol before approaching her again.

"Huh?" Jaehee whispered as Jumin began tending to her cut with extreme care. "W-Wait, you don't have to, Mr. Han!"

"I will," he stated while still helping her, "I just want to return the care you gave to me yesterday."

Flashbacks suddenly came to Jaehee and she remembered everything of her doing the same for Jumin. Helping him. She smiled gently, and a slight feeling of warmth stirred inside her chest. "...Thank you."

Jumin smiled back at her when he finished. "Paper really is dangerous. Perhaps I should prohibit it."

Jaehee chuckled lightly; knowing Jumin, it was completely possible he would actually do that. Then she remembered something. "Um, Mr. Han. I needed to ask... would you think an artistic collaboration including C&R would make a good project? It's main point would be romance-related books."

Jumin considered it for a while, meditating the idea. Then a memory flashed by his mind of Jaehee and him at the library, of how she was marveled by all the books and enjoyed reading every single piece. "...Well, it is a subject of interest nowadays." He gave her a friendly sideways glance. "Let's do it."

* * *

"Hmm, Jaehee..." Mi-Cha leaned over her friend's desk while the latter worked fervently.

"Yes?" Jaehee asked, pausing for a bit.

"Mr. Han usually looks cool," MC said with a completely blank face as she stared at Jumin's office through the open window. "But he looks really hot when he's working and concentrating like that..."

"Eh?! Mi-Cha!" Jaehee reproached her for the inappropriate comment, blushing red.

"Don't you think he's hot? Everyone does," Mi-Cha told her with a shrug.

"I-I wouldn't know... I've been working with him for so long," Jaehee replied, with a nervous expression. "Now get back to work," she ordered sternly, even if only to distract herself from the heat invading her cheeks. 

"Hehe, okay!" MC grinned, striding away. When the intern left, Jaehee couldn't help but stare at the raven-haired man with appreciative eyes.

* * *

While Jaehee unconsciously stared at him, Jumin didn't notice as he intensely researched something in his computers. "Ordinary places for ordinary dates..." he wondered aloud.

 _"What I want is a completely ordinary romance with an ordinary guy. I just want something stable and normal like that,"_ he remembered Jaehee saying. But it was so hard finding a decent restaurant that counted as ordinary when Jumin was nothing but extraordinary.

Then he decided to call his assistant. "Assistant Kang!"

"Eh!" Jaehee gasped with surprise, snapping out of her trance. "I'm coming, Mr. Han!"

When she quickly arrived, Jumin glanced at her with questioning look. "Do I still have an scheduled meeting at six with that businessman?"

"Huh, yes. You do," she nodded.

"You don't have to accompany me for the meeting, Assistant Kang."

"Oh... alright."

"Instead, please accompany me for dinner at eight, so I can share a night of wine with you," he said with a genuine smile. "My treat."

"What?! Are you sure, Mr. Han?!" Jaehee almost fainted.

"More than certain," he told her, "Especially because I have something important to tell you." Truth was, he was planning to confess to Jaehee how he was feeling about her.

It all still felt very strange and new to him, but he was admittedly trying his best to impress Jaehee; he wanted to make the occasion as special and perfect as possible.

The brown-haired woman stood there, barely believing his words and tightly gripping the RFA card hanging from her neck. Lowering her head, a happy smile slowly spread over her features. "...Okay."

* * *

Jaehee Kang pushed one dress after the other, unsure about which one she should buy. It was the evening, and Jaehee was visiting a high-quality clothing store to see if she could find something special to wear for dinner.

"This one looks pretty," she thought while inspecting a short light blue dress; that is until she saw the price tag. "Yup. Back into the hanger you go."

"Excuse me, miss. Are you looking for something?" an employee asked her, noticing how she had trouble finding what she wanted.

"Ah, no, just something for a meeting tonight." She waved her away with slight embarrassment.

"Ooh," the retail worker smirked slightly, "Miss must be going on a date."

Jaehee flinched as a bright blush covered her face. The salesperson chuckled. "In that case, I can help. Let me find you a perfect dress for tonight."

* * *

Jaehee came out of the shop with white heels and a new, yellow knee-length floral dress with bare shoulders that hugged her figure perfectly. She decided to let down her now shoulder-length hair that she usually kept tied in a ponytail at work and put on some light makeup as well.

It had been a long time since she had put this much effort in her appearance and she didn't know why she was doing it now when she was just eating out with Mr. Han...

She nervously looked at her reflection on one of the many stores' display windows before clearing her throat and shifting away. "Anyway, I should meet up with Mr. Han now—"

Her phone began ringing. "It's Zen again!" she said before picking it up. This really was not the time. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jaehee, where are you right now?"

"Erm, the West Side Mall," she answered confusedly, "Is there a problem?"

"No, no," Zen clarified. "I just have something I want to give you. A gift."

"Oh, really?" she asked with surprise. "I'm greatly grateful but... right now I'm kind of busy."

"Eh? Why?"

"I'm... meeting up with Mr. Han tonight."

"Ugh! Does he want you to babysit his cat again?" Zen groaned, probably rolling his eyes.

"No..."

"Then why?" Zen asked, genuinely not understanding.

"Well..." Jaehee didn't even know what to call this or even why they were doing it. Just... that she was pretty glad they were doing it. "I'll call you later, Zen. Right now I don't have the time, I'm sorry."

"Wait, just... Come outside at the garden, this is for the project you told me about. I'm in the mall, too," he said while sounding jittery. "I'll find you in a few minutes."

Jaehee wasn't sure if she should do this now when she was already late, but she complied with a sigh. "Alright. I'll wait for you there."

* * *

So Jaehee waited there. The sky was dark, nearly pitch black but hues of blue and glittering stars made it even more breathtaking. The garden was full of many colorful flowers, and small distinct bushes. She saw a spot of white running towards her and soon Zen was in front of her, panting.

Then suddenly he stopped on his tracks and something seemed to light up inside his eyes. "Jaehee... you're normally beautiful," he started, unable to stop himself, "But somehow you look even more beautiful right now." He had wanted to be with her so badly, that he had rushed away from a rehearsal to meet her here. He didn't know, but somehow he was starting to see her in a whole new light.

Jaehee's mouth hung open, and she was couldn't hold back a stutter. "T-thank you, Zen... But I really need to meet with Mr. Han..."

"Sorry, I lasted so long," he apologized, before grabbing his bag and going through it.

Jaehee managed a small smile, staring at him curiously. "It's fine. What is so urgent?"

"This..." He gave her a friendly smile, before extending his arm with a small book between his fingers. "I wanted to give you this."

"W-what is this?" Jaehee asked as she looked at the pink cover. "A novel...?"

"Written by me." His chest puffed out with pride.

"You wrote this!" Jaehee gasped, almost stumbling back. "Since when are you a writer?"

"Since recently... I've always had this idea inside my mind of writing a play, like the ones I act in. This is my first one, so I'm sorry if it's terrible but..." He paused, looking at her with a strange look. "...I want you to have it."

Jaehee covered her mouth in surprise for a second before excitedly reaching out to grab the book. Suddenly, Zen was pushed away from her and somebody stood in front of her in a protective manner.

"Mr. Han?!" she shouted. He glared at Zen in an extremely dark and disdainful way.

"Get away from my assistant," he warned him without taking away his glare from the actor. He swiftly took Jaehee's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.


	24. Heartbroken

Zen looked at Jumin with a growing glare, but he wasn't able to say anything since Jumin had already escaped from the garden, Jaehee hot on his heels. 

* * *

"Wait! Mr. Han!" Jaehee called, confusion seeping into her voice as Jumin stormed through the building until they reached the restaurant and Jaehee was able to free her hand from his. 

Jumin turned around as he snapped back to reality, and stared at her with wide eyes. 

"What happened back there?" she demanded to know, crossing her arms. "Why did we run away from Zen?" 

Jumin avoided her sharp sight, glancing away before asking her a question. "Why were you with him…?" 

"Because we were about to discuss the artistic project for the company," Jaehee stated firmly, "And Zen is a major part in helping us achieve success." 

Jumin frowned, still unable to look at her. "In that case… it'd be most beneficial if we canceled the project."

"Huh…" Jaehee's eyes widened in disbelief. "Pardon? Why?" she asked with a frown of her own. 

Jumin put one his hands on his hips. "I have my reasons," he said blankly. "And partnering up with such an unpredictable and irresponsible person as Zen would do no good to C&R." 

Jaehee stepped closer to him, glaring even further. "You're not making any sense," she told him, unable to comprehend what caused this sudden change. 

The director finally shifted his steely eyes back at his assistant. "...I don't have to explain everything to you," he said in an impulse, with that cold voice that characterized him. 

Jaehee felt something snap inside her at that moment. After all this time, she had thought he had changed. 

"You…" She couldn't finish her sentence. She quickly glanced away with a choked up expression. "Then I suppose I should take my leave." 

Jumin's glare immediately dissipated into regret as he saw his assistant rush away with an angered and disappointed face. 

He wasn't able to say anything as she disappeared despite how much he wanted to stop her, to implore her to stay. He went against his desires and instead walked away, turning to one of the opposite doors when a food trolley accidentally ran into him. 

Looking down he saw the chef's and waiters' apologetic faces as they were ready to carry the strawberry cake and red wine to him and Jaehee. He shook his head slightly before continuing to hurry out of the place. 

* * *

Jaehee truly felt foolish. 

She should have known better than getting her hopes up and seeing all her illusions get torn apart in front of her. 

She thought… she thought she understood Jumin. 

"I…" She took off her heels before plopping down on her bed. "I should have listened to Yoosung." They really were too different to fit, it seemed. And she would only hurt herself more if this ridiculous jest continued between her and Jumin. 

* * *

"V?" 

"Hyun," the mint-haired man replied from the other line. "I wished to talk to you. Forgive me for not appearing in so long…" 

Zen scoffed as he talked into his phone. "The Trust-Fund Kid must be worried," he remarked with a roll of his eyes. 

"Yes…" V sounded concerned. "Speaking of Jumin, I've been meaning to ask you about something important…" 

"Huh? About that jerk?" Zen asked, bemused. 

"I heard you two had an argument not too long ago."

"How did you find out about _that_?!" Zen exclaimed with surprise. 

"Luciel informed me," V mysteriously stated. 

"And how did _Seven_ find out about that?!" 

V gave in to a nervous laugh before proceeding. "What I'm actually trying to convey is that I'm worried over your relationship right now." 

"I wouldn't even call it a 'relationship'," Zen said with clear disgust. 

"You know the least I want is for the RFA members to be enemies, Hyun." V sighed deeply though the phone. "I want to do my best in encouraging you to apologize to Jumin." 

"Eh?! Excuse me?!" Zen hollered in response. "What?! V! There's _no way_ on Earth I'm apologizing to that jerk!" 

"I dislike to highlight it Hyun, but you _did_ start the fistfight…" 

"Because I had a good reason!" Zen emphasized. "That CEO-in-line was being even more of a bastard than usual!" 

"Hyun…" V reproached him with disapproval. "Like I said, RFA members shouldn't be enemies, and I believe this strange battle between you and Jumin has gone too far." 

* * *

The last person Jumin had expected to see after the horrible night this had turned out to be was Zen himself, standing right in his front door. He debated whether if he should tell the security guards to escort him out, but Zen made eye contact with him and he knew there was no turning back. 

"What do you want?" he harshly asked the albino man, who now was sitting on the sofa in his living room while glaring daggers at the back of his head. "I thought I made it clear I didn't want you in my sight ever again." 

"The feeling is mutual," Zen noticed how Jumin planned on ignoring him completely as he stared into the French windows with his back turned at him. His figure with crossed arms was reflected on the glass alongside the beautiful view of the city outside. "...But I came here because I had no other choice," Hyun finished, leaning forward. "V—" 

"What were you doing with Jaehee?" Jumin cut him off, shooting a side glare at the other man. 

Zen blinked in confusion. "What's with her?" He huffed as an annoyed look crossed his face. "Apart from you being an irrational jerk, of course." 

"You were the one being irrational when you prevented Assistant Kang from arriving to her meeting with me on purpose," Jumin accused with disdain, finally shifting a bit towards him. "That was low and petty, even for you." 

"What?" Zen began laughing mockingly. "Why would I—" Then his crimson eyes widened in realization. "You… you're scared, aren't you?" 

"Scared of _what_?" Jumin snapped. 

"Of me taking her away from you," Zen told him with a blank, serious expression. "You're scared of losing her."

Jumin's glare suddenly faltered, and Zen knew he was right. 

"Wow, look at that." Zen got up from his seat with new confidence, a wide smirk spreading over his features. "The insensitive Trust-Fund Kid is actually afraid I will sweep his assistant off her feet…" he mockingly laughed. 

Jumin refused to respond to that, deciding on turning back to the window defensively. 

"You know what, Jumin?" Zen inquired with a sense of amusement. "I may actually just do that. I will… and I will show you that whoever Jaehee likes is none of your business, and never will be." 

Jumin still wouldn't reply; his hands started to shake nervously as he gripped his nails into his arms in an attempt to hide his fear. 

"I bet you'll also cancel the art project because of your irrational insecurity, too," Zen smirk got replaced with a glare. "You pretend you're some kind of unreachable robot, Jumin Han… but truly you're just a privileged, unprofessional coward who lets his feelings damage everyone around him." 

Jaehee's disappointed expression when he told her he had canceled the project flashed through his mind and his blank mask broke. 

He turned to Zen with a defiant, determined stance on his grey eyes. "I _will_ continue the project," Jumin growled under his breath as he informed him. "And I could care less whether you're part of it or not." 

Zen chuckled with a sneer before walking away and opening the door to leave. "I wonder how this will turn out, CEO-in-line."

* * *

"Miss Kang, I need your help with some documents for the art project," one of the subordinates asked Jaehee. 

"Huh? But there's no art project anymore…" Jaehee replied with bemusement, her eyebrows creasing. "Mr. Han canceled it." 

"Eh? No, miss. Mr. Han ordered the documents from me just this morning." 

Now Jaehee's confusion was replaced with sheer anger. "Pardon?" She didn't wait for the nervous employee to stutter out a response and marched down to office for explanations. 

When she finally arrived, she didn't even bother knocking before basically bursting into the room. Jumin surprisedly turned towards her and she put herself in front of him with a clear frown gracing her features. " _Excuse me_ , Mr. Han, but I can't help but be confused over the fact the art project has been restored out of the blue." 

Jumin glanced at her before putting away a stack of papers next to his elegant fountain pen. "I decided to restore the idea, is there an issue with that, Assistant Kang?" 

Jaehee was practically fuming at this point. "I thought you expressed continuing this project would be a terrible idea, awful for the company…" Jaehee stepped away from him, her hands balled up into fists. "That's what you told _me_ last night." He knew how much she wanted to do that project...

Jumin looked away from her; the events of last night still too overwhelming. "...I changed my mind," was all he said before turning back to work, urgently wanting to distract himself from Jaehee's piercing golden eyes. 

Jaehee's gaze widened slightly, disbelieving of how he was behaving. "Oh, _right_ ," her voice resounded in a rare, sarcastic tone. "You don't have to explain everything to me." 

Jumin still was unresponsive; unable to comprehend how disappointed she was. "Mr. Han... please do not make me resign twice," she warned him before walking away, leaving Jumin more than distressed.


	25. I Want To Persuade You

"Assistant Kang!" Jumin's voice called through the office. Jaehee heard him and immediately got up to help, but something was different...

"What is it, mr. Han?" she asked with one of the coldest voices Jumin had ever heard in his life (and he was counting his own voice). She didn't even bother to blink while glaring at him, like he was some kind of lowly, despicable being.

Which he was, but that's another point.

Jaehee has never looked at him like that before; not even when she was annoyed at him for making her babysit Elizabeth the 3rd or giving her extra work hours. No, this was a whole new level of hatred.

And it was making his normally unmoved heart ache.

"Ahem, I need you to open the windows—"

"They're already open, sir," the brunette replied in less than a minisecond.

"Well... huh... I need you to finish the Art Project documents—"

"I finished them this morning and left them at your desk, sir."

"Oh... hmm, I need you to bring me some coffee?"

"Your coffee machine and cups are sitting right next to you, sir."

"..."

An awkward silence settled between the two for three minutes straight.

"If there is nothing else you need, sir, I shall take my leave." Jaehee gave him a short bow and walked away without even gifting him a glance.

Jumin silently banged his fist on his desk, clearly frustrated at himself.

* * *

This continued through the whole morning: Jumin looking for Jaehee, Jaehee avoiding him at all costs. Jumin distressed he couldn't get his daily dose of Assistant Kang, Jaehee looking at him with conptempt.

He couldn't stand it anymore. She was punishing him, wasn't she?!

As a last attempt, he stood next to Jaehee's desk as she worked intensely, not moving an inch for a least two hours. She would have to talk to him now! He smiled proudly at his brilliant idea, just waiting for Jaehee to finally approach him in conversation...

It never happened.

"Hey, what's mr. Han doing? He's been standing there since 9 o'clock," Mi-Cha whispered in Jaehee's ear with confusion, ignoring their boss's presence. "Just... smiling to himself."

"Let him be. Just because he's being childish, it doesn't mean we should degrade ourselves as well," Jaehee responded, loud and clear; her unamused eyes plastered to the computer screen as she typed on the keyboard.

"Oh," MC glanced at Jumin with something akin to pity. Even she felt bad for him. "Okay."

Alright, this was too much. He would die at this point.

Jumin sincerely has no idea what to do. How to turn everything back to normal. What are you supposed to do when the person you care about the most in this world is mad at you because you did something foolish?

"You're supposed to apologize to them!" Seven chastised him like it was the most obvious answer in the world, even for him.

"But... let's say... what if the person who did something wrong isn't able to—" he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Apologize...?"

"Eh? What do you mean you're not able to say sorry?" Luciel tilted his head to the side with bemusement; Jumin had really been depending on him for advice these days... that's how desperate he was.

"Like... apologizing for them is like speaking in Latin?"

"You know Latin?"

"Well, yes. But it still quite an strenuous language..." Jumin glanced away while rubbing his temples, trying to lower his built up stress.

"Apologizing is as difficult as speaking another language for you?" Seven laughed slightly. "But you apologize all the time! To business partners and all that wealthy, snobby people!"

"Those are fake apologies. It's different," Jumin told him seriously. "Apologizing because I actually made a mistake is..." He couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Gee, you're so arrogant you can't even put your pride aside to admit your mistake, mr. Trust-Fund Kid?"

"I'm not arrogant..." Jumin defended himself. "I'm just perfect."

Luciel's eyes turned into slits as he stared at the corporate director with disbelief. After a while, his words finally returned to him. "Look, Jumin. If you don't apologize to this person... you will slowly lose them," he told him in all seriousness, which definitely took Jumin by surprise.

"And when you lose a person," he stared at him, genuinely worried for his friend. "You'll never get them back."

Jumin's grey eyes widened at the wise words coming from none other than Luciel. A tight knot formed inside his throat as he ashamedly looked away.

* * *

"Wow, the security really got tighter in C&R after that fight happened..." Mi-Cha commented while her and Jaehee passed by the cafeteria doors and they noticed how there was a security guard in every corner.

"Fight?" Jaehee turned towards her with pure confusion. "What fight?"

"Eh, you didn't know?!" Mi-Cha exclaimed with surprise. "The fight between Zen and Mr. Han!"

Jaehee became completely speechless, and her soul actually left her body for a second. "...Pardon?"

"The fight? They got into a fistfight like three days ago."

Jaehee still stood there baffled while Mi-Cha explained everything to her. Now Mr. Han's bruise that day made sense... and why he was so tense around Zen that night.

* * *

The work day was finally coming to an end, the sun was setting behind the crystal windows, and employees were ecstatic to get back home soon.

Jaehee walked steadily through the hallway. She turned around the corner only to see Jumin walking the opposite direction, right towards her.

The two awkwardly avoided each other's gaze as they approached one another. Their shoulders brushed against each other and not a single word was uttered.

But as soon as they silently passed the other, they slowly stopped walking.

They stood there quietly for a while. Then Jumin slowly turned towards his personal assistant.

He decided he won't lose her.

"Assistant Kang..." He started softly, but Jaehee was able to hear him, turning around to look directly at him. "I... I apologize, Jaehee. I'm sorry for what I said to you... You did not deserve to hear that at all. I do want to express everything to you."

Jaehee stared at him with widened eyes. He... he was actually apologizing. Sincerely. That was a first...

But she couldn't have been happier about it.

"I projected my personal insecurities into you and... I hope you can forgive me for being so foolish," he finished, still unable to make eye contact with her. "I understand if you don't wish to resume the kind of relationship we had before... and if you want to keep giving me the cold shoulder during the rest of your days here... I understand. After all, I do deserve it."

Jumin finally was able look directly at her; his silver eyes saddened. "But please understand that everytime you do... you break me more and more. I truly miss your warmth..."

Saying Jaehee was astonished to see Jumin finally opening up about his emotions was an understatement. Every single thing he felt and had previously pushed away he had expressed to her. He was so vulnerable now that he wasn't shielding himself with a mask, and she was honored that he was being sincere to her.

"Mr. Han..." she spoke gently. "I also misjudged you. I didn't know why you were acting so tense around Zen... and I thought you were just being petty. But now I understand it's because of what happened between you two," she concluded, seeming apologetic. "I... I might have been too harsh on you, no?"

"Not at all," Jumin told her, reassuring as he walked closer to her and so did she. He smiled slightly. "Does that mean that you forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me as well," she said with an equal smile.

"Then we have a deal," he stated, sounding genuinely happy. Like the businessman he was, he outstretched his hand, expecting her to shake it, but instead Jaehee went for a warm hug.

He was surprised for a second, but chuckled slightly before embracing her as well.

Afterwards, the two were walking through the hallway again, but this time side by side. Blissful smiles plastered on their faces.

Finally, everything was back to normal.

* * *

"Mr. Han, may you explain why there's three piles of paperwork sitting on your desk completely untouched since the morning?"

"Ahem, well," Jumin coughed awkwardly, guilty of not doing his work. "I was too worried about you this morning to concentrate at work... Everytime I touched one of the documents, you kept popping inside my head."

"Ah..." Jaehee sighed exasperatedly. She slowly shook her head with a small smile, sitting in the chair next to Jumin's with the intent of helping him finish the paperwork.

Jumin thanked her with a smile of his own, sitting next to her comfortably.

After the two had finished around half of the work, Jumin gaze suddenly lingered over Jaehee. His eyes fluttered close before he unexpectedly spoke, "Assistant Kang, do you remember what you told me about not making you resign twice?"

Jaehee glanced at him with a nervous face. "A-ah, yes. I do..."

"I don't want to make you resign. I want to persuade you," he suddenly got up from his seat, walking towards Jaehee who just stared at him wondering what the heck was going on.

"I want to make you stay, Jaehee." Suddenly, he put his arms around her chair, unconsciously trapping her under him. She confusedly looked up at him, his face was slowly approaching hers as he leaned down. 

It all seemed slow-motion, like some kind of dream, and they both knew they were blushing. 

Actually hopeful of what was to come, Jaehee's eyes fluttered close without her even noticing. Soon enough, black and brown hair was mingling together, and their foreheads were touching as they felt each other's warmth closer and closer.

Their soft lips finally touched...

...And Jumin immediately jumped away like a terrified cat. His exploding heart was faster than his brain and he impulsively pushed Jaehee's chair away, making it roll all over the office with a poor, confused Jaehee inside, until it crashed against a wall.

Jumin reached up to touch his mouth with shock, while Jaehee's head shot up after getting propelled like a rocket.

She was furious. 


	26. Their Holiday

Returning just a few moments earlier, Jumin was leaning down, his hands settled on the armchair Jaehee was sitting in. He noticed the subtle but adorable blush on her cheeks as she closed her honey brown eyes, and it just made him want to kiss her more.

But as soon as Jumin closed his own eyes, something flashed through his brain, making him stop on his tracks. 

_"Don't be like this please!" the terrified voice of his child self screamed while trying to get away from a heavily angered woman, chasing him with her sharp red nails outstretched._

_"If you did this, consider this your last moment," she threatened him, sounding almost soulless._

_"No!" Was young Jumin's last shriek before he snapped back to reality._

His grey eyes suddenly widened, and he couldn't control his hands instinctively pushing Jaehee's chair away. He didn't realize what he had done until he saw Jaehee slowly opening her eyes again, sliding away from him with confusion.

Immediately regretful, he rushed towards Jaehee but he can't reach her until she crashes against a wall. "A-Assistant Kang!" he called her, now standing right next to her worryingly. "I can explain—"

Jaehee cut him off with a raised hand, turning her darkened face away from him ominously. "Now when someone asks me about my first kiss... I'll seriously have to compare between when my friend in Kindergarten Sang Cheol kissed me as a joke, and... _what happened just now._ "

Sweating nervously, Jumin tried to speak up again, but Jaehee instantly got up with a smile way too radiant to be sincere. "Mr. Han." 

"Yes...?" 

"Tomorrow I'll take the day off," she said with that bright, sardonic smile still adoring her features. "I do not have the confidence of facing you right now." Then the grin vanished and she stormed off; leaving Jumin baffled as she slammed the door behind her.

* * *

"Wait... you're saying he pushed her away as soon as their lips touched...?" Yoosung questioned with a tilt of his head, sitting across form Jaehee in the same dining place they had visited sometime ago. Jaehee angrily chugged down a whole cup of coffee, despite the fact it was late at night. 

" _Yes_! Can you comprehend him?! It seriously didn't make any sense..." She stopped when Yoosung raised an eyebrow at her. "...When I reached that page in the novel!" She quickly made up, trying to avoid Yoosung discerning she was talking about herself.

"Um... well..." Yoosung nervously tried to find a logical explanation to this; angry Jaehee was still as scary. "M-maybe he had a traumatic experience related to kissing...? And that's why he pushed her away?"

Jaehee suddenly let her cup touch the desk again, her face creasing up in deep thought. Talking about traumatic experiences... it reminded her of her own. Her eyes closed momentarily, and she remembered herself in a dark room, trapped with a boy around her age.

It was the same boy she drew in her sketchbook... 

"—ehee? Jaehee?" 

"Huh?" Jaehee blinked rapidly, realizing Yoosung was calling her name with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You kind of spaced out for a sec."

"I-I'm fine... anyway, thank you for accompanying me, Yoosung," she gratefully told him, getting up with her bag on one arm. "But I think you should go to sleep. Don't you have class tomorrow?"

"Nooo. Don't remind meee..." the blond college boy whined.

The two RFA friends exchanged goodbyes and Jaehee went on her way home, leaving Yoosung a tad suspicious. "Hmm... something tells me she was actually talking about Jumin." He shook his head with a worried sigh. "Wait..." His eyes widened in realization and a bright blush spread over his face like a wildfire. "Does that mean they actually kissed?!"

* * *

It was ironic, really.

On her only holiday in _months_ , Jaehee didn't know what to do.

She debated whether if spending 24/7 re-watching all of Zen's musicals, but for once, there was something inside her shouting at her to do something different with her life for once. Maybe Yoosung's nagging was starting to rub off on her.

"Well... perhaps I should visit an amusement park?" she pondered, and immediately her mind burst with memories of her and Jumin smiling and having fun while riding the roller-coaster, them eating together, watching the fireworks...

She quickly shook her head when she caught herself daydreaming. "Dammit! I have to think of something else...!" she chastised, shifting away on her bed and glancing around her room. 

Her eyes meet with blue ones staring from the other side of her bedroom. "Elizabeth the Plush?" she muttered nervously, remembering who gave her the giant cat that doesn't actually shed C-fur. "Ugh! I'm thinking of him again!" 

She frustratedly waved her arms by her sides, punching her pillow at one point and deciding to throw it at Elizabeth the 3rd so she would stop staring at her with her beady cat eyes. The fluffy white plush, sitting on a swivel chair, slides away from her and another flashback of her sliding away from Jumin just this morning rushes through her head. She flinches and gets all flustered. "Why did I close my eyes?! That was so embarrassing!" 

* * *

Having literally no idea of what else to do, Jaehee goes outside; settling for sitting on one of the park benches. The day is sunny and perfect, yet she's feeling somehow... hollow. She watches people smiling and laughing with their families and friends, while she just silently sits alone. 

Her fingers find her phone inside one of her pockets and she decides to call one of her few friends. "Um, Mi-Cha? Is your day going well?" she asked shyly. "Oh, you're at work. I see... I apologize for interrupting you..." She resorted to playing with the now long edges of her light brown hair. 

"No, no, really, it's my fault! I'm doing... well, nothing in particular. Yes, I'm fine... thank you. I should go home now... Goodbye." She closed the call sadly, now staring off into the horizon.

Then she remembered she brought her sketchbook with her, and started looking though the worn pages absentmindendly. It was full of badly-drawn stick figures, and some short paragraphs that resembled the diary of a five-year-old (which it was).

_"I'm scared... Oppa," Jaehee remembered herself saying at that young age, holding to the other boy's arm fearfully. They both got kidnapped for three days, but she couldn't remember the boy's face for the life of her._

_Just his voice. "Shh, don't worry," he reassured her gently. He reached into his pocket and handed her a caramel candy. "Here, have a candy... Enjoy it, and don't cry," he caressed her cheek and encouraged her to eat, which she managed to while pushing away the tears._

Her brown eyes widened slightly, and she felt her heart racing once again. She had always treasured her memories with that boy... even if she never saw him again.

* * *

"I have a new appointment this Saturday at five with the Oil Prince, I need you to schedule the flight, Assistant Kan—"

"Um, Assistant Kang is not here today, Mr. Han..." Mi-Cha nervously informed the company president for the fifteenth time that day. "I'll do that for you." 

"...Right," he cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. He looked away only to see Jaehee's empty chair, provoking some sort of sadness deep inside his heart. 

Suddenly, Mi-Cha's phone began ringing, and she wasn't sure whether to pick it up or not right in front of her boss. Jumin gave her a positive signal with his head and she picked up the call. "Hello...? Jaehee? Yeah, everything's fine! Just... this is not the best moment," she glanced at Jumin, who stared intently at her when he heard a certain name being mentioned. 

"No, it's fine! It's not your fault! How's your holiday going? What?! You're doing nothing?! _Jaehee_! You're literally on vacation! Go live life! Yeah, yeah, have a good day. Bye!" 

"Ugh, can you believe it? She's going home after doing nothing outside," Mi-Cha shook her head, feeling bad for her friend. 

Jumin kept his gaze on the empty chair, sighing. "Miss Park, cancel all my plans for today."

* * *

"He's everything in my head... it's because my life is so involved with his..." Jaehee huffed out in annoyance. "Ugh! Mr. Han...!" she groaned out loud, stomping her way back home.

"You called?"

"Huh?!" The brunette almost stumbled back to see the man standing smugly, right in front of her. "M-Mr. Han?! What brought you to you here?"

"I heard from Miss Park that you were bored and heading home, so I brought a detailed list of things we should do during your holiday."

"Wait—"

"At three o'clock, we'll head out to a cat cafe and enjoy some feline company as well as coffee, then we'll go to a sushi restaurant with Elizabeth the 3rd and let her enjoy the sight of all those fish in one place... Talking about that, at five o'clock we could go to the aquarium, I'm not sure if they allow cats, though... Maybe I could bribe them..."

"Wait, Mr. Han—"

"At seven o'clock I have booked a flight to Japan so we can arrive during the night and dine at a high cuisine restaurant—"

"MR. HAN!" Jaehee finally managed to catch Jumin's attention, almost out of breath. "There must be a misunderstanding..." she chuckled lightly. "I am not 'bored' as you put it. Actually, I'm extremely busy today, so I do not have anytime to do those activities with you." 

Jumin raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Busy with what, if I may ask?"

"I-I have things to do, you know! I was planning to travel very far away..."

"In that outfit?" His grey eyes puzzledly pointed to her clothes that strangely resembled pajamas.

Jaehee embarrassedly looked away. "Err... well..."

Jumin closed his eyes for a moment in thought before opening them again and looking at Jaehee with determination. "Alright, I'll do your plans and adjust to your schedule today."

Jaehee was now the disbelieving one. "Are you sure you'll be able to adjust to me...?"

"Of course, I give you my word, Assistant Kang."

On one hand, Jaehee just wanted to get Jumin off her back and not turn this into another work day, and on the other, this actually sounded like a fun way to spend her holiday. "Okay, then you'll follow my orders today, Mr. Han." She couldn't help but smirk mischievously; she'd definitely take advantage of this. 


	27. A Little More

"May I inquire what we're doing here, Assistant Kang?" Jumin crossed his arms nonchalantly while standing next to a equally laid-back Jaehee (which was quite a sight for an usually overstressed person). Jaehee turned at him with slightly parted lips, a smile stretching over her soft features. 

"We're waiting for the bus." Was her simple, straightforward answer before her head shifted ahead again. 

"Why?" 

"I've always wanted to take a tour around the town..." Jaehee muttered wistfully, her eyes not meeting with Jumin's. "But since I was much too busy to be able to do so... I decided perhaps today that I'm free would be a perfect day to complete that task, no?" She smiled brightly at him again, which never failed to make his heart leap. 

"I... I suppose," he cleared his throat and looked away with a nearly indistinguishable blush, just as the interesting-looking vehicle reached its stop. The wheels halted elegantly, and Jaehee nudged Jumin's arm, indicating him to follow her. Jumin didn't move, merely inspecting the bus with squinted eyes. 

"Mr. Han, is there an issue?" Jaehee feigned complete surprise over Jumin's reclutance. There was no way Mr. Corporate Director was about to ride a public bus through this city full of commoners, was there? "I mean, you do not have to accompany me if it makes you in uncomfortable-" 

Jaehee saw Jumin's grey eyes shift one way to the other quickly before he firmly shook his head with determination. "No," he said shortly, clearly resolved to do this strange task his assistant convinced him of. 

And once Jumin Han was determined to do something, he would do it. 

Jaehee's brown eyes nearly popped out of their sockets with astonishment and she gawked at him in a quite unladylike manner for her. "W-w-wait, you're actually coming?" 

"Of course, though normally I wouldn't be inclined to do activities such as this, I did give you my word to follow you, Assistant Kang," he said with this unwavering sense of loyalty, getting inside the bus. Jaehee stood on her spot for a while, flustered, before nervously stepping after him. 

Once inside the bus, seeing himself surrounded by a brand new, strange scenery for him, the C&R Director was suddenly paralyzed like a deer caught in headlights. "Hm, Mr. Han? Are you okay?" Jaehee asked confusedly, now trapped behind him. 

"Ahem, I'm fine, it's just... huh..." He attempted to convince her he wasn't nervous at all. 

And failed. Jaehee shook her head with a small chuckle. "It's fine, Mr. Han, just follow me," she reassured him before walking in front of him, calmly passing her bus card on the scanner. 

"Beep! This bus card is empty! Beep!" The machine immediately spoke up in response, freezing Jaehee like a block of ice. 

"Well... this machine gives away quite humiliating information, Assistant Kang," Jumin looked sympathetically at Jaehee. "Let me try-" 

"No, no!" Jaehee stopped him with a frantic wave of her hand. "Don't worry, this is on me! I'll pay..." She felt bad that everytime they went out, Jumin would always be the one paying. Jumin couldn't help but smile amusedly when he noticed this. 

Thankfully she had another card, which also thankfully was full. She smiled at Jumin and the two proceeded to find a place to stand inside the pretty crowded vehicle. Jumin still felt extremely awkward, though. Imagine, an extremely wealthy corporate heir, who grew up with all marvelous luxuries, always donning a custom-made three piece suit, constantly on business trips, flying on his private jet plane... 

...Riding the public bus. 

Yes, it was quite an odd sight; and everyone in the bus was staring at him weird. But the fact that Jaehee made him feel more normal... more human, made all these oddities unimportant. Their eyes were locked together, since thanks to all the other people surrounding them, they were standing extremely close to each other; but neither of them minded. 

A person stood up from their seat and Jumin, being gentlemanly towards Jaehee, asked her to sit there now that it was unoccupied. She timidly didn't accept at first, telling him to sit instead, but he insisted. Now sitting down, Jaehee glanced out the window. The bus suddenly came to a halt; Jumin's feet stumbled since he never expected something like this and he lost his balance completely. 

Jaehee instantly turned towards him with worry, but she didn't have time to say or do anything since all of the sudden, he fell straight on her lap. 

The two stared at each other with eyes as wide as saucers, and they were immobile for a moment. Jaehee noticed Jumin's face go red with embarrassment; at least as red as Jumin's face could get, and the CEO-in-line immediately got up without saying a word while everyone else inside the bus was murmuring about them. Jaehee looked at him with concern, but he refused to let her see his blushing face. 

Jaehee finally glanced away again, a sincere smile forming on her face. "How does he manage to be so cute sometimes?" she wondered with a blissful sigh as she continued admiring the beautiful scenery outside the crystal window. 

* * *

"That wasn't so bad..." Jumin admitted afterwards, though still a little embarrassed, as he and Jaehee walked down the street peacefully. "The sights outside were quite delightful." 

Jaehee chuckled in response. "Not at all bad," she agreed, cheerful.

"But what is our next activity, Assistant Kang?" The corporate heir smiled, glad to see Jaehee happy once again. 

"Um..." Jaehee's eyebrows crashed down, deep in thought. Her eyes suddenly brightened up. "Aren't you hungry, Mr. Han?" 

"I suppose... what about you?" 

His chief assistant nodded in response. "I know of a perfect place to eat! Follow me!" She thoughtlessly grabbed his hand and led the two of them forwards. 

* * *

Jaehee and Jumin arrived to the nearby dining place Jaehee was talking about. It looked admittedly shabby, like a shack, but an alluring aroma of food brought the two of them (as well as dozens of other people) to enjoy the atmosphere. 

"Um, what kind of restaurant is this?" Jumin asked out of curiosity, mesmerized.

"A pizza place," Jaehee answered with sparkly golden eyes. "I usually reproach myself for not eating healthy... but once in a while, it won't do you any harm, I suppose," she told him while still holding his hand between her fingers. 

One of the vigorous employees noticed their presence and immediately led them to two empty chairs, taking their orders and leaving to get their food prepared. "Thank you, Unnie," Jaehee smiled with closed eyes, as if already familiar with the middle-aged, friendly woman. 

"No problem, sweetie," the woman, apparently knowing Jaehee as well, replied with a chuckle. This left Jumin staring at the two of them, wondering if perhaps they really did know each other before. 

Being polite and not knowing how to ask her though, he held in his tongue until the pepperoni pizza arrived to their table. Jaehee grabbed one of the slices and put them on a plate and Jumin's eyes lighted up as he looked at the commoner food; the brunette realized how he was looking at the pizza slice and slowly offered it to him, only to playfully take it back and put it in her mouth when he was about to reach it. She laughed slightly while looking at Jumin's annoyed expression. 

"That was quite childish of you, Assistant Kang," he spoke attempting to sound stern, but unable to hide his amusement. He truly enjoyed discovering new sides of her.

"I apologize," she giggled again, covering her lips, "But being in this place does make me feel like a child once again..." Her sweet voice trailed off. 

Jumin smiled softly at her, before his question returned to his mind. His voice became silky to his assistant's ears, "Jaehee..." Her heart stopped for a moment, hearing him say her name like that, and she couldn't help blushing slightly while staring at him. "Why is this an important place to you? It seems the owner of this restaurant is familiar with you... and you seem comfortable, too... almost as if..." 

Not needing him to say any more words, Jaehee nodded gently, her long hair falling in smooth waves, perfectly framing her face as she looked down. "Yes... this is a special place to me," she told him, her voice sounding distant but beautiful as always. "I... I used to come here frequently with my mother when I was a child. Very young, around... five to eight years old," she stopped for a moment before finding the courage to speak again thanks to Jumin's reassuring gaze. "This kind of street food was everything we could afford sometimes..." 

Jumin nodded in understanding; but also in pain to know that this unhealthy kind of food was all Jaehee had been able to eat as a child, he wished he could have given her and her family a better life... 

"Dad was often sick, so Mom was the one who worked to sustain the two of us..." she continued, sounding strained while remembering those hard times. "But her job didn't pay enough to both give us food, pay the house bills and Dad's hospital bills..." She took a deep breath. "Then... then my father passed away..." 

Jumin couldn't help but frown sadly, nearly able to feel Jaehee's dreadful pain by her broken voice. "...And me and Mom were left alone. But I rarely got to spend any time with her anymore since she was constantly busy with work. I wanted to help as much as I could by being a responsible daughter... but an eight-year-old can only be so responsible, I suppose..." Her eyebrows creased when she remembered the exact moment she had gone outside from their small house while her mother was working, taking out a trash bag before Jaehee had been snatched away. 

She didn't mention this to Jumin though, feeling as if it were unimportant for him to know. "Even after all that... she..." she took a deep breath. "I lost her, too."

There was an edge-cutting silence for a while. 

Then she softly spoke up again, "My aunt was practically forced to take me in... I suppose she wasn't very happy about it." She was firmly staring downwards. "I was just a burden for her and my uncle. Even if I tried to give my best for them and to be as independent as possible... I knew I couldn't depend on anybody anymore." Another afflicted sigh escaped her lips. 

Her eyes finally looked up, nervously.

She felt had already overwhelmed him too much. But instead of seeming irritated, tired or even emotionless, she was able to see compassion seeping through his normally steely, but now warm grey eyes. She was surprised when he slowly took her hand, gently enclosing it inside his, soothing her with comfort. 

"I... I'm sorry, Assistant Kang." 

"It's not your fault," she told him, pushing away a stray, lone tear with her other hand and trying to smile at him. "And I know you already heard this story, yet you listened so attentively... thank you," she gratefully looked up at him, unbelieving of his kindness. In that moment she realized... how much she trusted him.

"And I want to tell you that you're not alone," he said without an ounce of doubt. "I'm always here... and you can depend on me, just as I depend on you," he finished sincerely, eyes connecting with hers in an outflow of assurance. 

* * *

"Mr. Han, look!" Jaehee's eyes brightened up as she rushed towards some kind of game in the street. 

"What is that?" Jumin rose an eyebrow, puzzled, as he reached her excited figure. He put his curious hands over the crystal separating them from a bunch of plush toys. 

"It's called a claw machine," Jaehee replied happily, shifting toward him. "To play it, you're supposed to insert a coin and try to catch one of the toys with the controller..." 

"Hmm, it sounds interesting," Jumin hummed in response, convinced. "I wish to try playing it." 

"Eh?! Really?" Jaehee exclaimed with surprise, not expecting him to be the type to use claw machines (he barely even knew how to use vending machines!). 

"I will play it, Assistant Kang," he got in front of her, picking a coin from his constantly full wallet. "...And I will win a plush toy for you." He smiled brightly at her, determined to do this. 

"O-Oh... well, thank you."

"It's no issue," he confidently told her, "I remember you stating you wished to get a plushie from your date after your evening out from your survey." 

"He still remembers that?" She sweat-dropped nervously, now shyly turning towards Jumin as he turned on the machine and proceeded to pull the controller on side to the other while trying to catch one of the fluffy toys. She began cheering for him as he managed to grab one of them, a dog plushie, but just as he was starting to slowly and carefully pull it up, it fell down, causing both of them to shout in frustration. 

"No!" 

Immediately, the two of them turned to each other, laughing at the coincidence. "These machines are tricky," Jaehee informed him, "That's why they're so difficult." 

"It doesn't matter," he responded with the same shimmering confidence. "As long as I keep trying, I am certain I will be able to win." 

But he kept trying, literally over fifty times... 

He didn't win. 

"Mr. Han..." Jaehee sighed tiredly. "Please, please, let's leave this machine. It's already seven in the night," she pleaded, but the raven-haired man was resilient. 

"No... I need to give this to you," he insisted, but Jaehee grabbed his arm, slowly pulling him away from the evil game. 

"You don't have to... we need to rest." She smiled sheepishly at him, still holding his arm. "Honestly, Mr. Han... thank you for today. I sincerely enjoyed myself." 

He smiled, too, feeling the same sentiment. "So did I... Assistant Kang... you will be coming to work tomorrow, right?" he asked with concern. 

Jaehee nodded firmly, seeming satisfied with the outcome of her holiday. "Of course."

The two began walking away, but Jumin still refused to give up on the claw machine, staring at it as they left. "I still wish to defeat that game..." 

"Don't worry, you'll be able to someday," Jaehee reassured him cheerfully. "I mean... you did waste at least two hundred dollars on it... I'm sure buying the claw machine itself would have costed you less." 

"I will win this game fairly." 

* * *

"Hey, CEO-in-line." 

Jumin Han looked up at the person who had just intruded inside his office. Zen stared at him with that same glare of always, once again, it seemed he had something to bark at him. 

"How bothersome," Jumin thought with a deep sigh, trying to pay the actor no mind. "What is it this time?" he asked, straight to the point. 

"We're doing a project together, remember?" Zen snapped before approaching him without a care in the world; yet the tension was still more than present between the two. "I came to discuss it with you, since I'm pretty much done with my part anyway..." 

Jumin noticed how Zen was looking around his studio, glancing curiously as if attempting to find someone in specific. 

"If you're looking for Assistant Kang, she hasn't arrived to work yet," Jumin's low voice sounded threatening almost, as he sharply glared at the younger man. 

"Oh..." Zen was clearly disappointed, but he resolved to sitting down in one of the chairs in the office. He really had wanted to see Jaehee... 

"And even if she was here..." Jumin continued with those cold eyes of his. "You shouldn't be meeting with her. You don't have to report everything to me, either." 

Zen turned to him, his eyes now resembling Jumin's in terms of lack of warmth. "You know, Mr. Trust-Fund Kid... this project may mean nothing to you, but it means a lot to V and Jaehee. V is really worried about the two of us, you know? Doing this together would calm him... as much as I hate saying that."

"..."

"So know that I'm doing this for them, not you, okay?" Zen scoffed and got up, ready to leave already after leaving some paperwork on Jumin's desk. "Just keep that in mind, ciao."

Jumin merely rolled his eyes. 


	28. Insecurity

**Jaehee:** Luciel, why haven't you been picking up your phone? I've tried calling you eleven times this morning ;;

 **707:** I'm sorry, but my workload is killing me right now T_T

 **707:** I'm a slave to society.

 **Jaehee:** I see... I apologize then. But I really need to speak to you, Luciel... privately.

 **707:**.......

 **Jaehee:** ?

 **707:** Are you finally going to confess your undying, ultra passionate love for me?

 **Ja** **ehee:** No, but I'll gladly beat you with a cane ^^

 **707:** Nooo T_T Granny Jaehee is gonna beat me with her cane!

 **Jaehee:** Luciel, I'm serious. Please stop behaving like a five year old. -_-

 **707:** I'm four years old, Noona! :D

 **Jaehee:** .....

 **[** **Jaehee** **Kang has left the chatroom]**

* * *

Jaehee turned around the block, rushing through the street in long strides in hopes of arriving to C&R in time. Earlier in the morning, her coffee machine had a malfunction and she had been held back from leaving her apartment until 7:40, which was already too late for her.

During her speedwalking, she almost didn't notice the extravagant, bright red Lamborghini pulling up next to her. Puzzled, she glanced to her side only to unexpectedly meet eyes with no other than Luciel.

"Jaehee! Running late to school?" he asked in a flamboyant voice, looking at her with smug eyes.

Jaehee resisted the sudden urge to glare at him and instead asked, as calmly as possible, "Luciel, what the hell are you doing here?"

"What's with the unwelcoming greeting, Jaehee? I'm hurt." He dramatically put a hand over his heart, and Jaehee slowly stopped running, catching up to Seven's car. "Want a ride?" he offered with a playful wink.

Jaehee sighed, smiling ever so slightly. "I would appreciate it," she said, opening the vehicle's door and sitting on the passenger seat. "Thank you."

"No prob," Seven replied, instantly speeding up; but at least unlike with Jumin, Jaehee could fear for her life slightly less with him driving.

She hoped.

Eventually getting used to the high speeds inside the car, Jaehee finally managed to speak up. "Luciel."

"Ya?"

"Remember what I was trying to talk to you about in the chatroom? What I _tried_ to talk to you about," she emphasized, "before you kept fooling around and changing the subject."

"Ah... ya," he answered just as blankly as the first time. _How shameless_ , Jaehee thought with her eyes narrowed.

"I was trying to speak to you about your knowledge of the RFA members. After all, I believe the RFA records are under your control, alongside V..."

"Yeah, so?" Seven asked with confusion.

Jaehee cleared her throat slightly. "I wish to ask about Mr. Han."

Seven almost stepped on the brake out of surprise, but the vehicle still halted for a moment, surprising Jaehee.

"Luciel!" she shouted, startled, thinking he was going to get them both killed for sure.

"You wanna ask about Jumin?!" he questioned, turning towards her all of the sudden.

"Y-yes." She nervously debated whether if reminding him of keeping his eyes on the road. "Is there an issue with that?"

He mischievously stared at her. "Nope. Not at all."

"Could you please keep your attention ahead?"

Luciel immediately turned his eyes forward again. Pfft, it's not as if he had forgotten! He was merely excited to tease Jaehee about liking Jumin, just as much as he teased Jumin about liking Jaehee. The perfect paradox!

"I wonder just how much information I could ask from you..." Jaehee admitted, fidgeting with the hem of her pencil skirt.

"Eh, honestly, not much," Seven said without an ounce of tact. "I'd rather you ask V than me, honestly." He shrugged.

"Perhaps it'd be a good idea to ask V... since he's Mr. Han's childhood friend..." Jaehee thought aloud, touching her chin and looking downwards. "But he's always out of touch, while you're sitting here next to me." Her golden eyes shot toward him with a glint of fierceness.

Seven started sweating nervously under her gaze. "Huh... is there something in specific you wanna ask?" He was starting to regret inviting her for a ride. Thankfully, C&R had to be only a few blocks away from now.

"Yes," Jaehee said firmly. "I want to know about Mr. Han's childhood."

"Oh, that?" The red-haired man scoffed. "You can just ask him then."

"This is something I can't ask him."

"What? You wanna ask about his favorite Sesame Street episode as a kid?" Luciel grinned widely, turning the steering wheel around. "I can tell you that. It was the episode where Elmo went to a kitten rescue."

"Wait." Jaehee paused, for a moment getting distracted by Luciel's tomfoolery. "That episode never happened," she stated in all seriousness.

"Ha! I knew it!" He exclaimed in pure victory. "You also watched Sesame Street!"

"Ah— I mean—" Jaehee blushed in embarrassment, stumbling over her words. "I was a child, that doesn't— Huh. You're purposely changing the subject again, aren't you?" She deadpanned, glaring at him.

"Yup!" Seven chirped, stopping the Lamborghini. "And now we're at C&R!"

Jaehee squinted her eyes at him, feeling betrayed. But honestly, what did she expect from him?

She sighed, getting out of the car in defeat, when Luciel unexpectedly spoke again, this time sounding somehow serious; making her eyes widen like plates when hearing him. "Jaehee... why do you want to know about Jumin as a child?"

"..." She quietly stared at him for a moment, before proceeding to speak while looking away. "I..."

"...I think I knew Mr. Han before," she said, a tremor running through her voice. "When we were children..." Now her eyes met with his, and he could tell she was being completely sincere; shaking him a little.

"Alright." Was all the hacker said, closing the door after Jaehee left. "I'll talk to you later."

He left, and Jaehee just watched him go with something akin to hope. Maybe she'd finally find out why her life had been so jumbled all these years.

* * *

Jumin had been early, as was normal of him. Extremely early in fact. So early that when he looked out from his car's window and locked eyes with something in specific, with Driver Kim driving in the front, he ordered the elderly man to stop the vehicle.

He practically jumped out, putting away his paperwork and walking towards that darn machine that had set him off.

It had dared to defy him.

And in front of Jaehee, nonetheless. He stretched his arms, and prepared himself; afterwards pulling a coin from his pocket while basically glaring at the crystal in front of him.

He inserted the coin, now pulling the handle while he expertly moved it one way to another. He had practiced and investigated it ardously, as he did with anything that caught his attention.

And this time he would defeat this claw machine.

While Jumin put his all in trying to win a plushie, Driver Kim stared at him with something that could only be a mix of sympathy and awkwardness.

Mostly awkwardness, though.

Jumin stood there playing for almost an hour; thankfully, the clock still hadn't hit eight. Determination never escaped him, as he kept trying, and trying.

In fact, he was so determined to win that various kids from around the neighborhood startled circling him; amazed of seeing a man with such an expensive three-piece suit, and such a serious demeanor playing a game at these hours of the morning.

He merely kept going when they started cheering for him enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Driver Kim still stared at his boss. Awkward. He seriously never thought he'd ever get to witness an scene like this. Not that he was complaining...

He had to admit it was quite amusing seeing Jumin so fired up; it reminded him of when he was still in elementary school, and showed just this kind of attitude.

He suddenly broke out of his thoughts, when he heard the children scream in joy as a satisfied smile graced Jumin's face.

He was actually surprised when he saw his boss holding a Siamese cat plushie into the air, clearly proud.

* * *

Jaehee arrived into the office glancing around, then sighing in relief when she finally sat down next to MC; pulling out her clipboard and laptop over their desk. "I was worried I was going to be late," she muttered, her friend and coworker hearing her.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that today." Mi-Cha chuckled with a slight roll of her eyes. "Mr. Han still hasn't arrived yet."

"What?" Jaehee murmured with concern, but just as she was beginning to start worrying about him, the man walked through the door.

All the employees immediately went completely quiet except for a few good mornings and respectful bows. Jumin responded with a nod of his head, expression blank; but as soon as his gaze met with Jaehee's, his silver eyes lit up.

"Assistant Kang," he said, partly as a greeting and partly as a calling.

"Yes, sir?" Jaehee got up from her seat in confusion, and her bemusement duplicated when she saw Jumin smile at her mildly.

He approached her slowly, while the rest of the Jaehee's coworkers tried their best to look away. He smoothly slid his hand into one of the pockets inside his suit, and pulled out something round and light-colored.

The brunette was taken by surprise when he gently put the small stuffed toy between her hands. "This... did you win this at the claw machine?" she asked with astonishment, her own brown eyes glistening.

Jumin nodded, pleased. "I said that I would win it for you, Assistant Kang."

Jaehee remained silent for a while, smiling down on the cat plushie. "...Thank you," she told him sincerely; her heart began feeling warmer. "What should I name it...?" she inquired, curiously holding the Siamese cat.

Jumin's brows creased and he looked down momentarily, clearly in deep thought. Then he confidently looked up again, pride radiating off him. "...Alexander, King of England," he declared, deadpan. 

Jaehee speechlessly stared at him for a minute straight. Of course that's the kind of name he would choose. "...I guess Elizabeth the 3rd has found her soulmate," she said just as blankly. The two stared at each other for a while, when Mi-Cha chuckled slightly, covering her mouth and getting up.

"I'm gonna go print some papers," she whispered, throwing a knowing glance at them before leaving. The two cleared their throats and looked away, blushing, when Jumin spoke again.

"I should take my leave." And like that he left, hesitant, and Jaehee watched him go with a myriad of emotions inside her. Yet a familiar figure walking inside the room broke her gaze from the raven-haired man.

"Zen...?"


	29. What I Feel For You

Jaehee inhaled the fresh air surrounding them deeply, enjoying the mild tinge of sweetness in it. It all felt somehow familiar, though she pushed away her thoughts while she strode through the small neighborhood with Zen. "Is there a reason you wished to bring me here, Zen?" she asked, glancing at him.

Zen merely nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry for intruding but... I heard that you're looking for someone special to you..." He scratched the back of his neck, as if afraid of bringing up the subject.

Jaehee smiled slightly at him, signaling for him to go on. "Oh... you're right. But... we haven't seen each other for a very long time. I can't even clearly remember his face..." she told him.

"Makes me wonder... Why is he so important to you?"

The chief assistant had to admit she was taken aback by the sudden question for a moment, but her expression softened quickly. "Because... he protected me... and I protected him, when we needed each other the most and we didn't have anybody else to take care of us..." She honestly felt it was more than that. Inexplicably, she felt an underlying bond strung between her and the young boy who helped her and she helped during those terrifying times.

They became friends.

Zen remained silent afterwards, waiting for a further explanation.

"..We survived together..." Jaehee sighed while her gaze fell downwards. "But then he suddenly disappeared and I wasn't able to see him again." She paused for a moment to chuckle. "He's the only boy who I've been close enough to to call Oppa in my life."

"That's how close you were, huh." Zen replied, unable to hide the slight bitterness lacing his words.

But Jaehee pretended not to notice it, unable to comprehend why he would feel disdain towards a little boy she just happened to be close to. "Yeah... I only wish to see him again. Even if just once... so I could thank him."

Zen forced a smile while looking at his shorter friend. "I see... You know, you've really helped me, Jaehee. You're always there cheering me on and ready to follow me to any place—"

"Oh? That's because I'm your fan, Zen." Jaehee answered without missing a beat, which made the actor's heart leap a little.

He cleared his throat, continuing. "I want to be your fan, too. I want to be the one to help you this time, because finding this boy is so important to you... I'll find him for you, Jaehee." he declared, full of confidence in his words.

She smiled so warmly he could feel his heart melting slightly. "Thank you, Zen... It means a lot to me."

He'd put his all in finding her friend for her, because he wanted to see her happy...

...And away from the Trust-Fund Kid.

* * *

"Should I walk you home?" the albino asked her cheerfully, she chuckled under her breath at his charming expression.

"Ah, no, here's fine. I see Mr. Han returned to the office now." While on her walk with Zen, she had received a call from the director telling her she was required in something important and to come to the office again for a short while.

She immediately rushed towards C&R, apologizing to Zen for having to cut their walk short. Before leaving, she thanked him with a bow of her head and ran towards Jumin, who had walked out the building as soon as he spotted the two.

But to her surprise, Zen didn't walk away from her, remaining by her side even as she approached her boss.

Now the raven-haired and silver-haired men glared daggers at each other while she puzzledly stared at the two.

"Um... Mr. Han?" she asked confusedly; something was definitely going on that she wasn't aware of.

"You brought her safely... now _leave._ " Jumin told him as sharply as the edge of a sword.

Zen scoffed at him. "I'll only leave when Jaehee tells me to. And she doesn't want me to leave, _right Jaehee_?" He sent a look at her direction, completely sure she would take his side.

"Um, Zen... I do think it's about time you return home," she said a bit nervously. She didn't want him to arrive home late.

Zen, however, took it personally, feeling betrayed by the person he least expected. That Trust-Fund Kid really had brainwashed her!

Jumin smirked at him.

Noticing Zen's distressed face, Jaehee quickly explained her words. "B-but I'm only saying it because I want you to return safely, please don't get the wrong idea."

The musical actor sighed softly, smiling at her and patting her head, which caused her to look up at him with widened coffee-colored eyes. "It's fine, Jaehee." He proceeded to ruffle her hair gently. "Have a goodnight."

Jumin glared at him again, crossing his arms while he did it. "Don't mess up her hair, you're going to make it disheveled," he said in a way that sounded strangely threatening, which surprised Jaehee, but Zen merely laughed slightly at him.

The white-haired man childishly stuck out tounge at him for a moment, before grinning victoriously again and turning around after waving goodbye at both RFA members.

Jaehee sighed slightly, shaking her head and turning her eyes toward Jumin. "...And Mr. Han, why are you being so rude with Zen? Are you two still arguing?" she questioned, upset with him. She couldn't believe he was being unreasonable again after what happened before.

"When aren't we arguing?" Jumin asked in response with a raised eyebrow.

"...Fair enough. But you seem way more aggressive these days."

"I'm not. Now come with me, there's still something I need your company for." He signaled for her to follow him without any more pretenses.

The chief assistant let out a sigh again as her shoulders slumped. She was sure there was probably a lot of midnight work awaiting her inside the office once again. "I see... " she muttered, sulking.

Jumin turned around, glancing at her and noticing her depressed attitude. "Is there an issue, Assistant Kang?"

Jaehee immediately stood up straight. "Oh no, of course not. I'm just getting mentally prepared for working till late today."

"We're not working," he said simply.

"Then... what are we doing?" She stopped in her tracks, only then realizing where he was taking her. His sophisticated black car. Soon Jumin was opening the vehicle door for her and she got in while she slid in next to her.

"I'm taking you home." He smiled at her.

* * *

The ride felt too short for both of them, though neither would say it. They enjoyed simply sitting so close to each other, quietly discussing everyday, casual things that came to their minds; without any business plans in mind and with no professional purpose.

Just as friends and RFA companions.

Even when they weren't talking and there was silence, they could happily stare at the window and take small, coy glances at each other while the other wasn't looking, feeling some kind of mysterious warmth inundate their hearts (and their cheeks).

But it all ended when they reached Jaehee's apartment and Driver Kim's voice stating they had arrived to their destination brought them back from their reverie.

"We're here. Please allow me to accompany you to your door, Assistant Kang," Jumin said, smiling softly, a sincere smile she returned unconsciously.

"I would appreciate it. Thank you." They both got off the car, walking quite slowly towards the entrance, as if somehow seeking to spend as much time with each other as they could.

"Have a good night, Mr. Han," she told him quite cheerfully while holding the doorknob, her keys in hand. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

He chuckled quietly at her cute expression. "I'll see you."

Yet she didn't go inside and they stood outside staring at each other's eyes for longer than either of them intended. "Oh." Jumin's silver eyes widened as if he just remembered something. "I meant to give this earlier to you this morning..." He searched for something inside the small pocket of his striped shirt. "I've seen you enjoying one of these candies before, during your coffee break..."

He gently put the caramel candy between her extended fingers, their skin pleasantly brushing against each other.

"I thought it may be to your liking." He smiled warmly at her, but she was too shocked to say anything in response, just staring at the wrapped candy as if it suddenly grew wings.

He didn't notice her astonishment though, attributing it to the fact that she must _really_ like caramel candies. He laughed ever so slightly before leaving towards his car.  
.  
.  
.

Finally, it was the day.

The Art Project had come to its full course, and they were currently at the inauguration of a new art museum, opened by C&R International.

Zen's brand new work, which aided him in his rise to fame alongside his famed musicals, put him between the highlights of the inauguration, and he was constantly surrounded by people admiring his otherworldly beauty and asking for authoghraps and selfies, which he gladly gave to them.

Jaehee had put aside her shock from last night, now standing next to Jumin while he gave a speech to the wide audience in front of them enjoying the event.

When he finished, receiving a strong applause from the distinguished guests, everyone was led forwards for the incoming press conference for the main star of the day, Zen.

Zen seemed to have another idea in mind though, gazing at Jaehee as if he had finally made his mind about something. A decision that made him smile so blissfully.

"Everything has been going perfectly," Jaehee clasped her hands together, happy and satisfied with their work.

"It has. Your idea of an art project was truly fantastic, Assistant Kang." he complimented her, hands inside his pockets and a rare smile decorating his face.

Jaehee blushed, though she tried to hide it by looking away and smiling at him. "Thank you— oh, wait. You don't give compliments, Mr. Han, you simply state the truth." She reminded herself, laughing.

Jumin laughed in return. "You're right once again."

Their moment together was interrupted when Zen walked into the stage, in which they were situated while making the few preparations that were still needed.

"Jaehee?" He chimed in, happily grinning at her, while ignoring Jumin.

"Oh, Zen!" She smiled back at him. "Are you ready for your conference?" she excitedly asked.

He chuckled, approaching her. "Of course. Well, hmm." He blushed slightly, looking away momentarily. "Except for a few things there and there. I'm kind of getting cold feet," he joked.

Jaehee seemed worried. "Really? That could be a problem."

He nodded. "That's why... I wondered if you would help me a bit practicing what I'll say."

"Um, well..." She didn't expect him to ask something like that. But she wasn't about to refuse helping a friend. "Of course." She smiled apologetically at Jumin as a goodbye, which he returned, even though he felt dejected seeing her go.  
.  
.  
.

"What parts do you have problems with, Zen?" Jaehee asked, sitting down across from him in a sofa.

He smiled. "The parts in which I have to explain where I got the concept for my play."

"Well, your play... is centered around the idea of love, isn't it?" Jaehee pondered, trying to help. "You should probably explain whether if this love you wrote about was based in a personal experience or–"

The longhaired young woman became confused when he chuckled as she said the last words. "Huh, Zen...?"

"Sorry, I couldn't help it..." He looked down for a moment, unsure of how to tell her he really did base it on a personal experience... with someone very close to him. "I... Jaehee, do you mind if I tell you something?"

"O-of course not." She was slightly taken aback by the change of subject, but agreed.

He got up, walking slowly towards her. Then he leaned down until he was crouching in front of her. "We... became very close through the last days. Before, we wouldn't talk and approach each other so often, right?"

"Yes, um, you're right."

"But... even though we haven't always been such close friends, you've always been the person I came to respect the most in the RFA."

Jaehee's golden eyes widened slightly.

"You've always been the person I would trust first before anyone else. You're someone who inspires me nearly everyday... and I... I just want to help you, and take care of you."

 _"Take care of me...? What is he talking about?"_ Jaehee wondered more and more puzzled the more he talked. This wasn't... no, it couldn't be.

"Jaehee, please understand when I tell you..." His hand slowly took a hold of hers, his touch lingering on her fingers. He took a deep breath. "I like you..."

Words were unable to escape from the brunette's throat. She had suddenly become mute and her eyes wouldn't blink for even a second.

Zen didn't notice her utter shock, and he delicately took both Jaehee's hands between his, leaving a gentle kiss on them and looking at her with something she could not have fathomed so many years ago.

All those years when she had liked him way more than she let on.

She had felt herself too pathetic and lowly to ever deserve to have Zen so close. Not to mention, she definitely wouldn't be worth his amazing career... his reputation.

Exactly one month ago, she would have been flying in the clouds at the mere thought of Zen looking at her like that. Exactly one month ago... before she came to like someone else, much more intensely.

She unconsciously gripped her fingers on his hands, completely unable to move anything else. Zen now looked at her with clear worry.

"Ja-Jaehee?" he fumbled, unable to comprehend why she didn't look nearly as ecstatic as he expected her to be.

Jumin Han had the worst timing. He could attest to that, especially because he walked into the room in that exact moment; Zen with his lips hovering above Jaehee's small hands, and Jaehee looking at him in something akin to horror, especially when she met eyes with the C&R Director.

Jumin stood there, thunderstruck.

Jaehee immediately, against the best of herself, snatched Zen's hands away from hers in a panic, staring at the raven-haired man silently, yet breathing heavily.

Zen got up as well, but with a glare accompanied by crossed arms. "What's with the scary eyes?" he asked, referring Jumin's glare directed at him, and raising a brow. "Jaehee was just helping me with my interview."

Jumin remained immobile, but he finally managed to pull out words. "...If you need last minute help for a nationwide interview, you most likely shouldn't be doing one to begin with."

Zen didn't say anything in response, merely glancing at Jaehee, expecting her to hopefully jump in his defense. But her eyes reflected her mind like an open book, and he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Only that Trust-Fund jerk.

Jumin finally got the courage to look at Jaehee, even if he couldn't exactly keep an intent gaze on her wide golden-brown eyes. "Let's go now," he stated before simply turning around, clearly still shaken.

"Jae... Jaehee," Zen muttered when he saw the Chief Assistant practically run after him without another word.

"Wait, Mr. Han!" She finally managed to catch up to him, and he stopped his walking, standing in front of her. "It's not what you think. Really, what happened... It wasn't what you think–"

"Mr. Director!" one of the subordinates hollered, informing him about some magnates wishing to speak with him in a meeting.

"Let's go," Jumin ordered him, walking in a rush towards the direction he was pointing out.

Jaehee didn't chase him again, standing in her spot while fidgeting with the edges of her white shirt and biting her bottom lip nervously.

* * *

During Zen's press conference, he looked more than pale and much less enthusiastic that he did before he confessed to Jaehee, but he was a good actor and nobody suspected a thing.

Jaehee worriedly stared at him from afar, but the bigger part of her worry was centered on a certain raven-haired man, that was avoiding her like the plague.

Brown eyes met grey from different sidelines inside the auditorium, and immediately he turned away with less than half a second passing; he rushed away from the place, leaving Jaehee more than distressed and preoccupied for him.

In the short time that their gazes met, she could see that pained look that he tried so hard to hide, but he wasn't exactly successful at acting.

She sighed deeply, turning on her heel and running after him.

* * *

The two were now outside in the back of the building, away from all the commotion and prying eyes. Jaehee finally began to calm down slightly as she was alone with Jumin as she wished.

"Mr. Han..."

"What?"

"What happened with Zen was a misunderstanding."

Jumin scoffed, pretending he truly wasn't pained when he saw him so intimately with her. "Why are you telling me this? I will stand everything. I will support you no matter what. You don't have to explain anything to me, and you don't have to apologize."

"I will explain everything to you anyway."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to get the wrong idea..."

"Again, I fail to comphrend–"

"Because I like you." She finally said it. She could not hold the truth in any longer. Her eyes glimmered sincerely as she stared at him, not a single ounce of doubt in her voice as she spoke. "I feel like I've lasted too long to respond to you... I'm sorry," she apologized, referring to the time he kissed her as a blush rushed to her cheeks.

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Jumin was truly speechless. He finally knew what it felt not to not have anything to say, but to have gigantic tides of words wanting to escape from his mouth unceremoniously; yet he contained it all with a pale face, not knowing how to react.

"I... like you, Mr. Han," Jaehee stated firmly, but seeing him looking exactly like a deer caught in headlights did take her by surprise. It even managed to make her wonder if perhaps she never should have let him know.

Perhaps he was disgusted or disappointed by what she said. Or she was just another of his fanatic, crazy admirers to him and he didn't want her anywhere near him. Maybe he regretted ever hiring her as his assistant to begin with–

Before she could wonder any longer, he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her in a hug, setting his head comfortably next to her neck. His eyes were still as wide as plates and his heart was still beating like a drum, to the point that even she could feel it. She wondered if he could feel her quickened heartbeat too, before indulging in the sweetness of having him so close once again. 

"...Thank you," he said sincerely. "Thank you..."

Something washed over both of them like a tremendous wave. Something that made their bodies flutter with warmth, something that drew a smile on both their faces.

Slowly, he eventually pulled away from her, their foreheads now touched as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. He started leaning in, eagerly wishing to plant a kiss on her; but as soon as he closed his eyes, the nightmares came back, shaking him momentarily. Jaehee jumped back in slight surprise, but didn't let this deter her this time.

She slid her fingers through his silky raven hair, pulling him down in a slow manner. Their lips touched again, just like last time, only this time...

He didn't push her away, and his own grey eyes fluttered close. This was their real kiss, and they savored every second of it.

However, Jaehee pulled away after a moment, seeming slightly indecisive in what to do as she still held his face close to hers. He didn't let her go for long before leaning down again and kissing her even more intensely than before.

There they stood blissfully; the bright moon their only witness. Everything surrounding them was peaceful silence, nobody to disrupt this perfect moment.

Just the two of them.


	30. No Longer Selfish

Her fingers slid down his cheek, and she slowly (and reluctantly), pulled away from him. Her eyes widened at all the beautiful feelings rushing through her during this moment. Her cheeks had reddened, and the smile that grew on her face reached her honey-brown eyes with sincerity. 

He didn't say anything, only staring at her wistfully, deeply wishing she hadn't pulled away from their embrace and feeling the cold of not having her so close anymore. 

"Jumin..." She astonished herself by calling him by his first name for the first time ever. But the name felt surprisingly pleasant as it slid off her tounge.

Jumin felt his heart leap momentarily hearing her say his name so sweetly. 

But he still looked at her silently, with the same longing expression, waiting for Jaehee to speak again.

"I... I want this," she said softly, smiling at him warmly. "But..."

"But...?" he continued after her silence, confused and admittedly fearful of what she may say next.

Had she regretted her decision? Did she actually not like him this way after all...?

Her smile didn't falter, and she shook her head slightly. "I like you."

Jumin felt relief flood him once again, and his shoulders relaxed, but she wasn't finished yet. 

"But I don't think we should date... not yet." Seeing his dejected expression, she quickly explained herself, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. "We still work in the same company... and, well... I don't think it would feel right if we dated right now and still kept being assistant and boss as well."

Jumin's silver eyes widened a bit and he finally understood what she meant. "You're right... as unpleasant as it is." It wouldn't be right to date each other considering the positions they were in at the moment. 

But he still couldn't help but feel distressed at the fact, and he noticed Jaehee having the same afflicted expression, even though she tried to hide it.

The two now remained silent for a while, looking down and unable to make eye contact; both unsure of how to continue the uncomfortable conversation.

Eventually, Jaehee raised her head once again, giving him a small, comforting smile. "But I don't think it will be a problem for very long."

Jumin looked at her bemusedly, not comphrending what she meant.

Jaehee couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her seeing his obliviousness. "Soon I'll be leaving the company, remember?" she reminded him, laughing slightly.

"Oh... right," he murmured. How had things ended like this...? 

As far as he knew, the whole reason he had proposed to Jaehee, why he began to know her better, how he discovered what a beautiful and amazing person she was truly and grew to love her... 

Was because he wanted to keep her by his side _at the company_. He wanted to keep her flawless work, her perfect leadership skills when it came to teaching and leading her subordinates, her exceptional loyalty. 

And yet she was still as determined of leaving as she had been the first time she declared it to him and basically threw her resignation papers on his desk. 

Only now, she seemed happier. 

Looking at her bright smile, her brown eyes glimmering, and remembering the feeling of her lips against his, of the warmth her hug brought, her long, glossy brown hair curled up between his fingers, her sweet but faint scent of coffee...

Of being loved by her and being able to love her...

He decided he did not care any longer. Losing her as his assistant meant gaining her as something greater, as what he truly wanted.

And even though she would be eternally irreplaceable for him, he loved her too much to try to stop her from following her dreams anymore. He wouldn't be selfish anymore. 

He smiled sincerely at her, softly holding her hands in his. "You're someone worth waiting for," he said. 

Jaehee smiled back, feeling her heart becoming warmer again. This was an unexpected turn of events, but one she welcomed greatly.

* * *

Various days afterwards, Jaehee put a harder effort in training Mi-Cha, and she felt it was finally paying off.

The younger girl was starting to catch the gist of being a secretary. 

And though she had to admit she did feel melancholic knowing she would be replaced as Jumin's assistant, she was more than glad it was her friend, who she could trust to responsibly take the position.

She and Jumin tried their best to not let their feelings for each other interfere in their daily work, though they still couldn't help the occasional gazes (where one of them caught the other staring) and the fond smiles that unconsciously grew on their faces when the other was involved. 

After a long and tiring day of work, Jaehee was planning to go home and throw herself on her bed to hopefully recover all the lost energy she had used at the office.

At least that was her plan, but the sweet and fresh smell coming from the lovely bakery she passed by was too much to resist.

She slowly opened the door to the café, almost timidly, and the small, golden bell on the doorframe rang a pleasant chime. 

She saw the coffee shop was quite full, various people sat in the comfortable chairs surrounding her while tasting their cakes and lattes. 

She smiled at the sight, and her eyes began sparkling ever so slightly. She walked across the café, thankfully the line wasn't long and the barista attended her immediately. 

She ordered a piece of coffee cake and a cappuccino, which then was brought to her table as she sat down. She grabbed her fork and took a piece of the pastry, silently gushing over how tasty it was and instantly wishing Jumin was there to enjoy it with her.

She sighed sadly, knowing such a thing wasn't possible just yet, and staring out the crystal window at the beautiful scenery outside.

As soon as they were able to be together... there were so many things she wanted to do with him. 

Just like they've been doing these days, simply hanging out together, relaxing and going to any place they wanted and being able to enjoy each other's company...

Jaehee smiled yearningly. She didn't want to cause a scandal that would trouble Jumin, or anything that could harm him.

She had come to discover the person Jumin Han really was: undeniable softness kept hidden under the apparent unemotional mask, warmth underneath the cold, kindness and loyalty he only showed to the few people he came to trust, and even a tinge of (adorable) awkwardness when it came to expressing his emotions and affection towards others. 

And Jaehee had come to know that she loved who he was.

* * *

After she finished her coffee, having spent a longer time at the little but nice cafe than she had planned, she stepped out of the shop while actually wanting to stay a while longer.

It was surprising how much she enjoyed coffee, making it, drinking it, anything that had to do with it.

And this coffee shop was basically a dream come true for her.

She was still staring at the café, not wishing to walk away yet, when she heard a familiar voice that brought her back to reality.

"Jaehee!" shouted a feminine voice from her side.

"MC?" She called her friend by her nickname, turning around to be met with a friendly hug.

"Oh, you were coming to this shop, too?" she asked curiously while pulling away from her. "Remember when we came here for the first time?"

Jaehee was confused at first, but thinking deeply, she remembered what Mi-Cha was referring to. "You mean when we came here and you tricked me into writing out what I would like for an ideal date, then gave the information to Mr. Han, who then took me to an amusement park as I wanted?"

Mi-Cha chuckled nervously, she felt bad all of the sudden. "Should I apologize for that? I thought you enjoyed yourself..."

MC was taken by surprise when Jaehee smiled at her instead of getting angry as she half-expected.

"No, I did enjoy myself," the brown-haired woman admitted, glancing away with a nearly unnoticeable blush. 

"But you should still ask before you do something like that again," Jaehee nagged the younger girl, who laughed slightly and nodded in agreement.

"I will!" she said. "But still, this café was really nice, wasn't it?"

"It was..." And still is.

"Actually, I noticed that you really seem to like cafes, Jaehee, no?"

"Yeah, you're right..." the assistant told her, glancing at her suspiciously.

"It's a really pretty place, no?"

"Yes..."

Her friend hummed, grinning. "I wonder... would you like to have your own café, Jaehee?" 


	31. Rainy Days

"Assistant Kang?" Jumin called, but Jaehee didn't respond, only silently staring out the window like she had been for the past ten minutes.

"Assistant Kang?"

Again there was no response from her; she was clearly distracted, which was extremely strange coming from the always efficient Jaehee Kang.

Finally, she snapped out of her thoughts, blinking and bowing down slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was there something you wished to say?"

Jumin's grey eyes narrowed slightly, worried, and he examined her carefully. "You seem distant today... are you okay?"

Jaehee immediately gave him a smile, as if out of reflex. "Yes, of course." she reassured him just as quickly, then glanced away. She didn't want him to worry because of her.

Jumin seemed quite unbelieving, still staring at her in silence.

"Mr. Han...?" the brunette spoke, sounding awkward.

The corporate director sighed as he promptly got up from his leather chair. "I wanted to ask you about Miss Park's internship. How is she managing?" He approached her until he stood up right next to her by the window, from where they could see almost all of the city from the high, and beautiful, view.

"Oh, Mi-Cha— um, I mean, Miss Park has been doing well lately. At first I was worried about her since the position seemed like a lot to handle for a newcomer, but eventually she learnt how to be a qualified worker." She smiled sincerely this time, quite content to tell the good news to him.

Jumin smiled in return, glad to see her cheer up, even if just slightly. "I'm glad. You're truly a good teacher."

The chief assistant wasn't sure why, but her heart suddenly leapt on her chest at the compliment. "How was your meeting this morning?" she asked him, geniunely curious of how his day went.

Jumin's smile instantly vanished, and Jaehee was worried she accidentally said something wrong. "Oh, that..." he muttered, momentarily closing his eyes.

She could see the built-up stress on his face, and he massaged his temples as an attempt to get rid of it.

"Since Father is on that trip with Mother, it became more difficult to maintain things in order... It's extremely draining, but not impossible at least," he explained to her, sounding quite tired, but thankfully not disheartened.

Now it was Jaehee's turn to look at him worriedly, but she smiled slightly at him. "I'm sure you did a wonderful job. You're a good director, and you will be an even greater chairman someday," she reassured him with sincerity, softly laying a hand over his arm in comfort.

Jumin wouldn't say it, but hearing her say that gave him all the strength and confidence he felt was missing after all those stiff meetings and corporate arguments. She truly was wonderful. He couldn't help the warm smile that grew on his face as he looked back at her.

The two stared at each other for a while, lost in their own thoughts, before turning around and facing the wide sky ahead again.

"Oh, the clouds are really grey... and they're starting to cover the sun." Jaehee noticed with concern. It looked like extremely heavy rain, walking under it would be a chore.

"Hm. It seems like it's going to rain," he agreed, then he turned towards her with a face of all seriousness. "You should come with me and Driver Kim so you can get home safely."

"Oh, well..." She thought it over for a bit, she supposed there really wasn't anything to lose. Then nodded at him with a small smile. "Alright, thank you."

Jumin sighed in relief. "You know you're always welcome to come with me," he reassured her as he ruffled her head ever so slightly. "I like you, after all," he stated with the same poker face.

Jaehee blushed at his words and couldn't help the sputter that escaped her lips as she turned at him. "Mr. Han!" she reproached him, even if a little. _"Saying it so casually..."_ She shook her head at him, but her smile betrayed her true feelings.

"There's truly no one like you, is there?" She laughed, walking toward him, then happily taking his hand, making him smile. "Come on."

* * *

As the two now sat next to each other in Jumin's black car, Jaehee suddenly felt a cold shiver rush through her body. She attempted to keep herself warm by rubbing her arms with her hands. _"Huh, it's getting quite cold..."_ She looked at the chilly rain causing the cold weather outside that somehow seeped inside the vehicle.

"You're shivering," Jumin noticed, looking at her.

Jaehee looked back at him. "It's fine, you don't have to give me your coat." She still remembers when he did so, when they were together at the amusement park watching fireworks.

Jumin was silent for a moment, then speaking again. "I can do something else then." Without an ounce of hesitancy, he moved closer to her, holding her in his arms warmly and laying his chin on her head.

The cold had definitely left now.

Jaehee's brown eyes widened and she looked up at him, but then moving closer to him, too. "This... is quite nice." Her head fit perfectly under the crook of his neck, and she let herself rest there.

Jumin smiled, closing his eyes blissfully. "I agree."

Sitting closely next to each other, huddling together, they felt themselves relaxing.

But when Jumin looked down again, even though her smile was still there, her eyes looked troubled as she glanced away.

He softly brushed her hair with his fingers, bringing her attention and comforting her at the same time. "Jaehee? Are you alright?" he asked her gently, his voice low.

Jaehee flinched slightly for half a second, but soon melted in his arms again. "I-I thought we would keep referring to each other by our professional names..." she murmured under her breath.

"We're not at work anymore," Jumin pointed out, tenderly brushing long, silky brown strands away from her face.

"Ha, you're right. I... just don't want to risk it," she admitted, though by her eyes widening, it seemed the words escaped her by accident.

Jumin raised an eyebrow. "Risk what?"

Jaehee sighed deeply, looking down. "Risk hurting you..." She confessed with a pained expression.

Jumin was even more confused now. "Why would you hurt me? You're the person who makes me happy," he told her simply. He trusted Jaehee completely, and he knew she would never do such a thing.

Jaehee seemed unconfident in what he said. "A-am I...?" she questioned in what was barely a whisper.

Jumin only hugged her more tightly, nuzzling her hair. "I told you that I liked you, didn't I...?" he murmured under her brunette tresses.

Jaehee herself shifted slightly, nuzzling his chest. "I don't want to tarnish your reputation or cause anything that would harm you... we're both in different levels..."

The raven-haired man pulled away from her, raising her chin with his hand so she would look directly at him. "Jaehee... I sincerely could care less about what anyone thinks about me when it comes to you," he told her firmly. "You're more important to me than any kind of reputation or any other person's opinion, and..."

"We're not that different." Jumin smiled a little. "If anything, we have things to learn from each other... I learnt a lot of humility and normalcy from you, Jaehee."

"Knowing you so intimately is partly how I fell in love with you. I... feel safe with you. You don't have to prove anything to me." He finished, looking at her seriously.

Jaehee stared up at him with widened brown eyes; her lips slightly parted with surprise. She was speechless as she glanced away from him for a moment, then she chuckled.

"Jumin." She smiled brightly at him, still hugging him, and affectionately ran a hand through his raven hair, making him blush without the intent of doing so.

"You're a very precious person to me... Thank you," she told him as she her hand slid from his hair until it was resting on his cheek, making his heart start beating rapidly.

Jumin smiled back at her, leaning into her touch gladly.

"But I... I don't want to ruin anything, I feel like I will... because I don't deserve you." Jaehee's hand fell and he raised his head in puzzlement.

"What are you talking about?" Jumin frowned, looking intently at her. "If anything, I'm the one who doesn't deserve you..." He thought back to all the times he was cold and almost heartless to his assistant; the piles of work she had to go through, working overnight while everyone else left. Staying with him.

Yet she was always efficient, with an always perfect performance. She kept her complaints to herself (and occasionally to the RFA members), but he remembered her telling him she was still grateful to have worked with him nevertheless.

Jaehee was such a pure and beautiful person and he... "I'm merely fortunate to have you so close to me..." He gently laid a kiss on the top of her head.

"That's not why. You're with me because I like you," she told him, now she was the one frowning at him. "I know that you've changed a lot from how you were. You're... you're better. And I like the better you."

Jumin's silver eyes widened slightly when she rose up a little, nervously, and he realized she was going to kiss him. But the vehicle moved and her lips landed on the corner of his mouth instead.

Jaehee immediately pulled away, avoiding his gaze and pretending as if nothing happened; clearly embarrassed.

Jumin blinked twice before a smirk extended on his face. "Couldn't you kiss me a little further to the left?" He whispered next to her ear, teasing her, and she feels his warm breath hover over her skin. A pleasant shiver runs down her spine.

But Jaehee blushed in embarrassment and glared at him. "Shut up," she muttered, then buried her face on his striped shirt and he laughed. She secretly hid her own laughing.

His laughter sounded so deep and melodious. She wished she could hear him laugh more often.

When the laughter died down, Jumin lowered his head, nuzzling her hair again. _"It's as if all my stress and exhaustion leave completely when I'm with her."_

* * *

Driver Kim is content seeing the two, knowing the young Mr. Han trusts him to know about his relationship with Ms. Kang, which he's glad of, since Jumin was almost like a son to him.

Before, he had noticed the way they behaved and reacted to each other, and there was constantly some kind of tension surrounding them (so thick it could be cut with a knife); as if they wanted to do more than they actually allowed themselves to.

It was sweet to see the happiness radiating off their faces through rear view mirror, and he smiled.

* * *

"Are you sure you're fine, Jaehee?" Jumin asked for the umpteenth time; it still seemed Jaehee was heavily preoccupied with something, and he wanted to make sure she was okay.

"You've already asked me ten times today... I told you there's nothing wrong."

Concern was still etched on his face, but he sighed. "...Alright. But if you want someone to talk to... I'll always listen to anything you have to say." She caught a glimpse of him blushing slightly, then he looked at reassuringly. "You can trust me."

Jaehee silently stared at him for a moment, before smiling slightly. "I do trust you. Just..."

 _"I'm not ready to talk about this yet..."_ She pushed away the thought to keep walking. "Rest well, I'll see you tomorrow." She waved at him with the same smile.

Jumin smiled back. "Indeed. I want you to rest as well. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Was the last thing she said before walking inside her apartment.

Jumin turned towards Driver Kim. He sighed. "She's been acting strangely since this morning, I'm very worried about her..." He admitted to the driver, who nodded at him.

"Maybe you should give her some space, Mr. Han," he suggested.

Jumin looked up at him. "Perhaps..." He glanced away. "I hope she feels safe with me, too. Safe enough to tell me what she feels so I can help her..."

Driver Kim hummed. "Love is a complicated thing, isn't it?"

Jumin chuckled slightly. "More than I wish to admit."

 _"I hope Jaehee's okay..."_  
.  
.  
.

Jaehee sighed deeply as she closed the door behind her, then she looked out the window. "It doesn't seem like the rain is going to stop any time soon..." she whispered.

She walked towards her room, proceeding to fall on her bed with her arms extended. She then glanced at Elizabeth the Plush and Alexander the King laying comfortably next to her.

Jaehee's lips quirked up a little. "Elizabeth? Alexander?" She chuckled slightly, staring at them. She took Elizabeth and slumped over the plushie as if it were a pillow. "I'm so exhausted... thinking about everything..."

Jaehee absentmindendly played with Alexander, holding him in her hands. "Jumin..." she muttered, being reminded of him. _"He seemed worried..."_

* * *

Jumin reached down, feeding Elizabeth the 3rd and lovingly petting her head. "How are you today, my princess?"

Elizabeth purred in response.

Jumin's smile faltered. "Tch... I can't stop thinking about her... But Driver Kim suggested I give her space," he said worriedly, walking towards the window and staring outside. "...I already miss her, though."

Elizabeth walked toward him, brushing against his legs, and he lowered down to pet her.

Suddenly, his cellphone started ringing. Taking it without looking at the caller ID, he picked it up begrudgingly. _"How dare they. Interrupting my time with Elizabeth the 3rd..."_

"Yes?" he said coldly.

"Ju-Jumin? Did I call at a bad time...? I-I'll hang up..." He heard Jaehee's voice in the other line and immediately regretted his tone of voice.

"Jaehee? Wait, don't." His voice became warm. He sat down on the floor, Elizabeth on his lap. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else. You're always welcome to call me. In fact..."

"It's quite pleasant when you do..." he admitted, laying his head on the floor, where Elizabeth sniffed his face curiously.

Jaehee was silent for a minute before speaking quietly. "I... I'm confused."

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

Jaehee buried her head on the white fabric of her plushie. "I'm not sure. Yesterday, I bumped into Mi-Cha, you know, Miss Park, after leaving a coffee shop, and she asked me if I would like to have my own café..."

Jumin was surprised. "Really? That seems quite sudden."

The brunette chuckled, agreeing. "It was... but coming from Mi-Cha, it's common. She's a very unpredictable person... maybe that's why... that's why she suggested to me that I get my own coffee shop when I leave C&R. She knows I really love coffee, and I think she saw me staring at the café."

"And?"

Jaehee couldn't help but frown, he sounded quite uninterested. "And what?"

"Do you want to have your own coffee shop after you leave the company?" Jumin explained his question.

"I..." She was silent for a long while, concerning him, but thankfully she spoke again. "I would... But it's a very risky and unstable job... There's many ways it could go wrong." He could hear the anxiety in her voice. "I'm worried I would be making the wrong decision."

"But it's what makes you happy, isn't it?" Jumin asked calmly.

"Well, yes—"

"Then I want you to do it," he told her, voice unwavering and reassuring.

Jaehee was momentarily speechless, but then chuckled. "Normally, you're the logical one, Mr. Han..."

Jumin laughed slightly. "You called me Mr. Han again."

Jaehee laughed as well, realizing it now. "It's a source of habit."

Jumin smiled even though he knew Jaehee couldn't see him. "What you said about it being an unstable and unpredictable job is true, but if it will make you happy, I think it is worth to at least try. Before anything, I want you to be happy, Jaehee. Can you promise me that?"

Jaehee took a deep breath, then smiled warmly. "I... I promise."

* * *

RFA message:

 **Y** **oosung:** Is everyone ready for our hangout tomorrow? I'm so excited!


	32. Beautiful

Things weren't really the same. At all.

The fact that all her efforts seemed to be in vain didn't do anything but pertub the young pop star. Just how?

How was it possible that a man had actually rejected her...? And for such an average-looking simpleton like that assistant woman...

 _How_?!

She just couldn't fathom it in the most profound depths of her pretty, little head.

She was going to admit it: at first, she only went after Jumin Han for the ultimate chances of adquiring all the money under his hand (which was quite a pocketful) and the immense amount of fame and attention she would receive. He was also really handsome and successful as a plus; it was all someone could ever ask for.

So why, why was it that her life couldn't go the way she wanted?!

She had been sure she could get anyone she wanted, everyone around her told her so. But she was starting to doubt herself due to all this complicated crap going on with the CEO-in-line.

"Kyungju, dear, you're looking quite gloomy today," her father remarked, half-caring for an answer and half-unable-to-care-less as he concentrated on his golf game.

"Don't call me Kyungju, daddy..." she muttered with a deep sigh, annoyed. "It's Echo Girl."

"Oh, forgive me, _Echo Girl_." He struck the ball with his golf club, and it fell right through the hole, causing him to grin widely in satisfaction. "I was just asking about the wellbeing of my daughter, is that so wrong?" he continued, now looking at her with the same content smile as she scowled right at his face.

"You're playing golf by yourself?" she asked instead, avoiding the question.

"Ah, _no, no_." He shook his head, exhaling a bit at his daughter as if such a thing was a dumb question. "I'm actually practicing before Mr. Han arrives." He settled the little white ball in front of his feet again.

Echo Girl almost jumped out of her seat. "M-Mr. Han?!" She ran towards him, hitting him in the back. "Daddy! _Why_ did you invite _scum_ like him here?! _Why_ are you gonna play _golf_ with him?!"

Her father seemed confused. "Oh...? Oh!" He realized, blinking. "I believe you're thinking of the young Mr. Han right now... I'm talking about his father." He cleared up (as if that would be any better) and closed one eye in concentration before hitting the ball again.

"What difference does that make?!" Echo Girl yelled at the top of her lungs. "I thought you were blackmailing him!"

"I _am_. I am, sweetie," he said carelessly, glad again when he saw the ball fell straight on the hole again. "And since I'm doing that, I may as well take advantage of it and defeat him at a game of golf, too!" He chortled, pushing away a tear of laughter from his eye. He clearly was enjoying the power he currently held over the chairman of C&R.

Echo Girl wasn't amused. _"How dumb..."_ she murmured inside her head, turning around and stomping off. _"Looks like daddy isn't going to be of any help, after all..."_ From the looks of it, at this point he could care less about her troubles surrounding Jumin.

She still hadn't gotten over it, though. And she wouldn't.

She would win this fight and prove she was ten thousand times better than that assistant wench. 

Echo Girl wasn't afraid of taking what belonged to her. 

* * *

  
" _Hey_."

"Huh?" Seven turned his head towards Yoosung, still chewing on his Honey Buddah Chips intently.

"Is it just me... Am I having an hallucination?" Yoosung asked, voice dead inside as he stared at the beffudling image standing right in front of him.

"I'm afraid you're gonna have to be more specific," Luciel stated, now taking a long swig of his Dr. Pepper.

Yoosung pointed to a particular, blue-eyed girl standing in front of them, behind some bushes, like a maniac.

Luciel spat out his drink.

* * *

"The day is beautiful today." Jaehee said softly, admiring the sheer beauty of the bright green of the trees surrounding them, blinded by the warm sunlight. 

"I agree." Jumin said in response, though glancing at her when she wasn't looking and thinking something else. _"Though still not nearly as beautiful as you... Jaehee's beauty... Is truly incomparable."_ He hummed. _"Maybe not even to Elizabeth the 3rd's?"_

Jaehee flinched, suddenly seeing him staring at her with squinting eyes; as if trying to decide something. "Um... Is there something on my face?" she asked in confusion, a bead of sweat on her cheek.

Jumin smiled, advancing his steps and tenderly caressing his thumb over her cheek. "Yes, right here."

A very long moment passed and he still hadn't stopped cupping her cheeks. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "...There really wasn't anything there to begin, was there?" she accused him, blushing ever so slightly.

"Guilty as charged." Jumin admitted without much thought, shrugging.

"Jumin!" Jaehee exclaimed in irritation, secretly over the moon (not that she would ever admit it, especially seeing that smug look on his face). She took off his hand with her own and walked away much too quickly.

"Where are you going?" the raven-haired man asked with a slight tilt of his head, curious.

"I'm going to look for the rest of the RFA." she answered, then turning around and smiling a bit. "You should come, too. I think we have been separated from everyone for a little too long."

Jumin reciprocated her smile, following close after. "Of course."

The two walked off by each other without another word, happy, and completely unaware of the person lurking in the shadows not too far behind.

* * *

"Where have you guys been?" Zen asked, sitting beside Mi-Cha; who had taken part of the event as the newest member of the RFA (she was going to become Jumin's new assistant in a few months) who was becoming acclimated to the fundraising group's company. "Isn't this meeting supposed to be for all us of to spend time together?"

"It's rare you actually want to spend time with me." Jumin stated, crossing his arms in suspicion.

"Euck! I definitely misworded that sentence. Nevermind!" he spluttered, shocked by his own choice of words.

"Jaehee, Mr. Han, have you guys seen Luciel or Yoosung around?" MC asked, sounding worried. "They didn't tell us where they went and they're still not back..."

Both Jaehee and Jumin looked surprised, glancing at each other and shaking their heads simultaneously.

"No... We haven't seen them." Jaehee responded, now concerned as well.

Zen got up, dusting off his hands. "Then we should go looking for them. Who knows what trouble they got into, knowing those two."

Jaehee nodded. "They're quite unpredictable." She pondered deeply before speaking again. "If you wish, we could all search together—"

" _Let's divide_!" Zen immediately exclaimed, as if desperate. Noticing everyone looking at him weirdly, he explained himself. "I mean... It's better like that so we can cover, _um_ , more ground...! The park is wide, after all."

Jaehee could tell what the real reason was: he still felt really awkward around her. She couldn't blame him. The way she rejected his confession to her really made her feel guilty. She shouldn't have ran off like that on him, but if she didn't, maybe she wouldn't have been able to reach Jumin.

"...Alright," she answered. But she still wanted to apologize to him as soon as she got the chance.

"Come on, Mi-Cha." Zen smiled friendly at her. The girl blushed in response and smiled back at him just as contently.

"Okay!" She turned towards her boss and coworker. "See you, Jaehee! Mr. Han! I hope either of us finds them. Be safe."

"We will!" Jaehee answered, turning to leave with Jumin as well.

"What kind of danger could there possibly in a park?" Jumin wondered out loud.

"Hmm... I don't know." Jaehee admitted. "But you can never be fully sure."

Seeing there weren't any other members around to see them, the two held hands as they walked, a warm source of habit.

* * *

The RFA only reunited once every year.

 _Once_ every year.

And yet this somehow had managed to happen.

Just how unlucky were they?!

"Tell me where they are right now. You nerds won't stand a chance in a court fight against me." Echo Girl stood in front of them — less than ten centimeters away — as if it were the most normal thing in the world. She batted her long eyelashes innocently. "I would suggest not holding any information back."

Yoosung was trembling — first, the celebrity he had only seen through his phone screen before was suddenly right in front of him! Second, she was threatening to sue them both for assault; even though they had done literally nothing.

It was quite a bizarre situation to be in.

"Why would you wanna know that?" Seven asked, the complete opposite of Yoosung. Completely chill of mind.

"Well, _obviously_ because I need to have a talk with Juminny." She rolled her eyes childishly. "And he won't let me inside C&R buildings anymore."

Both guys stood silent, probably impressed at how this girl had managed to get herself banned from a whole chain of enterprises.

"Um... then maybe... You _shouldn't_ talk to Jumin?" Yoosung suggested, voice drawling in self-doubt despite stating the most reasonable answer.

"I'm not a quitter." Echo Girl spat, repulsed. "I'm not some coward who just gives up when I really want something and I don't get it."

"...Jumin isn't something you can have? He's not an object?" The blond college student spoke as if he were making questions instead of statements from how baffled he was.

"I don't care! He's going to be mine, want it or not! And even if can't get him till the end... Then..." She stopped herself from speaking anymore. Not wanting to reveal the rest of her thoughts. _"Then he won't be anyone else's. Especially not someone as inferior as her."_

Yoosung and Luciel blinked when she looked away with the most maniatic of eyes; then glanced at each other with scrunched up faces.

 _"This girl creeps me out."_ Luciel whispered low enough for it to be inaudible to Kyungju.

 _"Me too."_ Yoosung agreed, actually shocked he would ever say such a thing about his idol. _"What do we do?"_

 _"Definitely keep her away from Elly's Mom and Elly's Babysitter."_ Seven responded simply.

"Oi," he called loudly. Echo Girl turned towards him with a twitching left eye.

"What?"

"I'll tell you where they are... But..."

"But what?!" She became enthusiastic instead of threatening, and jumped up and down on her place.

"You'll have to promise not to harm her."

"Her...?" She purposely sounded confused.

"You know who. Don't hurt Jaehee. Nor Jumin, 'kay?"

"Um..." She sighed deeply. "...Okay."

"Good, good." Luciel grinned. "Since you promised, I'll tell you! Here!" He grabbed a piece of paper from his pocket and wrote down a direction.

"Oh!" An ominous amount of laughter escaped Kyungju's lips as soon as her fingers touched the paper. "Looks like I won. _Idiots_." She thought the last remark was too low for them to hear.

"Bye-bye!" She gave both of them her cutest smile. "Thank you both!" Echo Girl proceeded to run off with the widest smile, practically skipping away.

After she had finally disappeared, Yoosung turned to his side, clearly worried at whatever Luciel had just done.

"What direction did you give her?!" he asked, sweating nervously.

He put his fingertip in front of his mouth, as if telling a secret. "Ah. I just wrote 'Longcat is the best' in Arabic."

Speechless, Yoosung stared blankly at him. "...You really are a genius."

* * *

"Ha. It's beautiful how life works sometimes." Echo Girl smiled sweetly to herself.

She tore the paper in her hands in half. She didn't need it anymore.

She had found them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got out of my writer's block! I'm sorry for lasting so long to post another chapter, but I really needed inspiration to keep writing. Comments and encouragement are much appreciated and they really motivate me to write! Thanks for reading.


	33. The Showdown

He was holding her hand. It was so small compared to his own, soft and warm; their fingers were carefully intertwined between each other. 

Her gaze was warm, too. And so was her smile. She was so unexpectedly sweet, resembling the coffee she adored so much in many ways. 

She may seem bitter at first, remarkably powerful and potentially dangerous if consumed wrongly (and she was, if you messed with those she loved). But in the end, she was sweet like the teaspoon of sugar added to coffee. 

He loved her just the way she was.

Too bad he couldn't love her in peace. Dammit. 

* * *

Echo Girl stared at them with a wide, satisfied grin, completely unashamed (if not proud) of just having revealed she had been stalking them for quite a while.

"I had warned you, this wouldn't be the last you would see of me." A catty smile played on her lips, in no way reminding him of his darling Elizabeth. 

"Still." He stared at her blankly, showcasing his disappointment. "Couldn't you at least have waited until Jaehee and I got married?" he inquired just as calmly, causing Jaehee to jump back in shock—blushing to the tip of her ears. 

When would he stop randomly proposing to her?! 

Kyungju scoffed. "As if that's going to happen while I'm alive." She rolled her eyes with an innocuous laugh. "That'd be a major humiliation for you and me both. Consider me doing this as saving your pretty arse." 

She stealthily moved towards them, as Jumin put an arm in front of Jaehee protectively—even though he knew perfectly she could defend herself just fine—he wouldn't take risks. 

Jaehee sighed, clearly troubled by whatever crazy confrontation was happening just now. Since when did Echo Girl even care about them dating? As far as she remembered, she was only upset when she wasn't hired for the position as assistant. 

(Which was quite strange by itself… Why would a popular pop star on the rise want to be a typical office worker so badly?) 

She glanced at Jumin, reassuring him that she was fine, as his concerned gaze bored into her. He put away his arm and she stepped next to him with the elegance and eloquence that was common of her professional nature. 

"Miss Choi, excuse me," she started, trying to keep her calm composure as much as possible, "But what the hell is going on here? Have you been following us all this time? You do know such a thing would be classified as stalking, correct? And you do know that the penalty for a stalker is a restraining order or even spending many years in jail?" 

Jumin seemed surprised at first (Echo Girl on the other hand, was astonished), however, he smiled proudly at how reliable and knowledgeable she was. That's his assistant, and his girlfriend. 

"I suggest you stop whatever you're doing, before you end up making a fool out of yourself and ruining your own career. As I am quite sure it is not something you would wish for." She finished speaking by sending an unusual from the overly polite woman, chillingly cold glare her way. 

Echo Girl shivered. But she wasn't intimidated! 

…At least she wouldn't let them realize she was. Seriously, that woman was unexpectedly scary when she wanted to be. 

"Listen, I'm not here to bargain or anything like that." She waved her hand at an attempt of being dismissive. "I'm here to say something to you."

Jaehee and Jumin both raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You came all the way here just to say something?" they accidentally asked in unison, sounding just disbelieving.

"Uh-huh." Kyungju puffed out her chest, smiling mischievously.

In a near instant, she was close to Jumin by less than a centimeter, putting her hand on his shoulder and gripping the expensive fabric of the suit in a way that made him feel threatened. She whispered something inside his ear. 

"Come to your company building today. I'll show up. You'll open the doors for me." 

In return he gave her glare, as if questioning why he would ever do that. 

"...Or you can just stay home and watch the incriminating tapes I have of your father from the comfort of your sofa. I'll just release them."

Jumin sighed, drained. 

She stood closer to him again, lowering her voice and making him flinch uncomfortably. "And don't tell that assistant wench, or I'll make sure she won't live this down along you. I was planning on having a little mercy on her, you know? Don't make me change my mind." 

Now the raven-haired man was holding himself from lashing out at her—losing his cool, something he wouldn't allow—yet a part of him really wanted to do it. One thing was threatening him, another entirely was threatening Jaehee. 

"I'm not the kind of person who gives up easily or who's easy to get rid of." Her dark smile plagued him as she quickly ran off into the tall bushes, clearly running back to get a ride from her limousine. 

Jumin absent-mindedly pressed a hand against his shoulder, frowning.

Jaehee quickly walked closer to him, making sure he was fine. But if anything, he just looked amused.

She was puzzled; she had expected confusion from him, even anger.

Not... The way he calmly smiled at her and told her not to worry about whatever nonsensical insanity had just occured.

"I'll take care of it," he said, brushing the side of her cheek lightly with his hand. The same kind smile on his face. 

* * *

"Jumin... There's something you're not telling me."

"What? Why would you think so?"

"Because Echo Girl wouldn't have gone all this way to do this just because you didn't hire her." 

Jumin sighed deeply. "She's not exactly the most logical person in the planet..."

"Jumin," she said, noticing how he wouldn't answer her question. Instead, he hugged her from behind, carefully setting his head over hers, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Jumin."

"Hmm?" he mumbled blissfully between her hair, not really listening.

Now it was her time to sigh, irritated. She forced herself to separate from his (heavenly) embrace, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him firmly. "Jumin Han."

Jumin blinked. "...You sound like my father."

Jaehee resisted the sudden urge to laugh at his shocked face, keeping her serious stance. "You need to tell me what's going on. Why did she even touch you like that?" It wasn't that she didn't trust him—because at this point, he was honestly the person she trusted the most in the world—but she was sincerely lost in the situation. 

Jumin considered the fact that he had been warned by Echo Girl about saying anything to Jaehee. Should he listen to her? Or should he take the risk and tell Jaehee? 

_What good would that do anyway?_ He reasoned. 

He had been avoiding talking about the forced marriage arrangement. About how he was supposed to be courting and getting married to Echo Girl as of now according to his father.

He wished the whole arrangement could just vanish in the air, and he didn't want to have to tell Jaehee about it. How would she even react?

Fortunately for him, he was saved by Yoosung and Seven appearing from another side of the trees.

"Guys! Did she find you?!" Yoosung asked in a panic, sounding genuinely worried.

"How could she? I gave her a fake direction, remember?" Luciel stated smugly, offended Yoosung actually thought his plan would fail. "Longcat isn't snitching on us." 

"Longcat?" Jaehee sweat-dropped. What even—?

"Inside joke." Seven shrugged casually. "No worries. We gotta find Zen and MC, though. Who knows where they are."

"Yeah... I think it's about time the hangout ended..." Yoosung sighed in disappointment, shoulders slumping.

"I think hanging out through the chat is more than enough for now." Jaehee said, relieved the event was finally ending. "We can go to the beach next time."

"But won't Echo Girl just show up in a bikini or something?" Luciel mused, making everyone around him stare at him in exasperation. "Maybe Jumin could hide in the ocean! Hey, Jumin, you know how to swim?" Now he was determined to teach Elly's mom how to scuba dive, maybe then he'd be distracted enough to let him pet her!

Jumin rolled his eyes, seeing his true intentions. "Perhaps Echo Girl isn't the only one I should be hiding from."

Jaehee and Yoosung laughed, while Seven pouted and grumbled something about Jumin and his dull jokes. Zen and MC walked towards them—MC was waving enthusiastically and Zen smiled wide.

"There you are. We've been looking for you idiots." He playfully slapped Yoosung and Seven in the back. "It's easy to get lost in this place. It's so wide."

Mi-Cha noticed how Jaehee and Jumin looked slightly nervous. "Oh, did something happen?" she asked curiously. 

Jumin fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve uncomfortably, and cleared his throat. While Jaehee pretended to be looking at something far off the distance. "Is that a bird?" she murmured in feigned awe.

MC and Zen glanced at each other.

They nodded in agreement.

"Let's go somewhere for a while," Mi-Cha was suddenly pushing Jaehee away from the rest of the RFA, even as the assistant protested in vain. "No, no, I insist."

They two disappeared, and now Yoosung and Seven realized in shock how Zen was dragging Jumin away from the scene as well.

"Huh—"

"Don't ask."

* * *

"Okay, what is it with you and Jumin?" MC now asked her friend firmly, crossing her arms. 

"W-wait, what? What do you mean—"

"I mean, I know you two are in love and all that," she admitted, sounding more than a little smug, "But you're still not dating, are you? Why are you guys so awkward?!" 

Jaehee flinched a bit, as if struck right in the heart. "We're not awkward... are we?" she asked, oblivious and almost timidly. 

"You're very old-fashioned at least," Mi-Cha laughed good-heartedly. "I think it's cute." 

Jaehee blushed. "Oh... thanks?" 

"But you do seem to have a few issues going on..." 

"What kind of issues?" 

"I don't know... The whole thing with Echo Girl seems like an issue to me." 

Now the woman of wavy brown hair blinked in surprise. "You know of Echo Girl?!" 

Even MC knew of this problem before her—somehow. 

"Eh... What can I say? Luciel told me." she replied, guilty as charged. She immediately proceeded to defend herself. "But I only asked him 'cause I was worried!" 

Jaehee sighed and smiled slightly. "I understand, it's just... I'm a bit frustrated." She looked away. "Jumin never told me about her. Kyungju, I mean." Even now he hadn't told her anything. 

"Oh... So you have communication problems."

Jaehee shrugged. Until now, she hadn't thought too much about it, but Jumin did tend to do and plan things without telling her. Planning business travels and leaving Elizabeth the 3rd with her, taking her on impromptu meetings, utilizing the element of surprise in all kind of situations. 

But all those things were back then; when she was only his assistant. He didn't really have a reason to tell her those things back then. But now... She was more than that, wasn't she? 

Or did he still unconsciously see her as just his assistant? 

* * *

Later that evening, the limit to her (quite admirable) length of patience and her beliefs in Jumin were both put to test. 

Echo Girl arrived, walking inside the building with a completely confident stride and conceited look in her bright, light blue eyes. She put her hands on her hips, staring her down as she sat in her office cubicle. 

"I demand to see him! Take me to his office, you damn secretary!" It was like a pure, unfiltered flashback to that day. Did Sarah put on a brown wig, blue eye contacts and somehow acquired a higher-pitched voice? 

No, even Sarah had proven to be better than this. It would be an insult to compare the two. "...Excuse me?" Jaehee stared at her with squinted eyes, befuddled.

"I want to see Jumin! Don't you hear?!" Echo Girl gladly returned the glare. "If you don't take me to him, I won't be afraid to take down this pitiful little company of yours!" she threatened for good measure.

A bead of sweat ran down Jaehee's cheek, and she nervously looked away; completely unsure of what to do in this situation. As if sensing her utter discomfort, Jumin pressed the intercom button, allowing both her and their "guest" to listen to his disturbingly calm voice.

"Let her enter, Assistant Kang."

"Pardon—?!" Jaehee couldn't help but shout in disbelief. "Mr. Han, are you okay?! Were you by chance drugged by miss Choi...?" she seriously questioned, worriedly holding the phone closer to her ear. 

"I'm not drugged, Assistant Kang," he answered, emotionless, "I just wish for you to bring miss Choi to my office."

Kyungju squealed with joy, sounding strangely like a dying seagull. "Yay! I knew Jumin did love me after all!" She mockingly grinned at Jaehee, looking extremely proud over her victory. By her being completely uninformed as she planned, she'd completely believe Jumin is being unfaithful, right? That he actually loved her instead of the measly assistant. 

Said assistant merely stared at her blankly; still fully disbelieving and puzzled over what on earth was happening. "Jumin..." she softly managed to whisper to the phone, so silently that only the man in the other line could hear her. "Do you truly want me to do this? Will you finally tell me what's going on...?"

She trusted Jumin, and believed in him fully. After all these years, she wouldn't doubt his word, and she knew this wasn't like him; which only made her deeply worried for him.

"...Yes. Jaehee," he sounded just as gentle as her, "Please, trust me with this." 

Jaehee bit her lower lip slightly, glancing away.

"I'm doing this for you... so that you no longer have to suffer because of me... As soon as this is over. I promise, I'll tell you everything. From now on, I'll never hide anything from you." he admitted to her, she could recognize various distinct, contrasting emotions laced in his voice. He was truly being sincere about this. Vulnerably, his voice quietened down again, patiently waiting for her response. 

There was an excruciating silence for a while, before Jaehee finally answered him, "...Okay." She nodded slightly even though she knew he couldn't see her. "But what made you change your mind?" 

He remained silent for a bit, before speaking again. "Zen." 

Jaehee blinked twice. " _Huh_?!" 

"I'll explain to you later." he amended, sounding amused. 

She was almost certain Jumin had smiled after she said this; and she was right. "Please wait for me, Assistant Kang."

* * *

"Hmph," he heard the pop star huff while leaning on the door frame, pretending to check her nail polish without another care in the world. "I knew you always had a thing for me... you aren't that different from other men, are you?" she finally spoke, stretching her perfectly manicured nails to admire them even further.

Her eyes eventually turned towards Jumin's, who crashed with hers in something that wasn't a glare, but it wasn't exactly a friendly expression either.

There was a long silence. 

"Are you not going to say anything? Or did your cat get your tounge?" she yelled at him, a frown forming on her features.

Jumin momentarily closed his eyes, not looking at her. With an all elegant composure, he turned his swivel chair around, and planted his eyes on his computer screen. "...Kyungju."

Said girl raised an eyebrow with interest, arms crossed as she still stood by the door. 

"I've... I've changed my decision."

She smirked, and eyes glinted maliciously. "I knew you would reconsider, Juminny..." she giggled, her eyes darkened as she approached him; putting her hands on top of his desk. He had to hold back a cringe when she suddenly got even closer, her face centimeters apart from his. "I truly am too irresistible for you to avoid forever," she stated, completely confident in her words. 

Jumin remained unfazed, but he didn't want to seem suspicious, so he looked down on his paperwork to distract himself. "I suppose you were right then. I truly couldn't avoid you forever." 

She happily giggled again, practically skipping towards him by circling the desk and standing next to him. She pulled out a USB from her designer purse, instantly leaning down and inserting it inside Jumin's computer. 

"What is this...?" he asked, bemused and wary while she joyfully smiled at him. Her "innocence" radiated from her face, and it honestly scared him what she was capable of.

"You'll see!" she told him with a childish pout, and Jumin's eyes redirected to the screen in horror.

It was a video of his father... in very compromising situations with multiple women.

He wanted to mentally slap himself; this was the blackmail Kyungju and her father had against them... No wonder Mr. Chairman seemed so fearful. With a grunt, he concealed his extreme anger with a blank mask. He slid a hand into his pocket. 

"Hehe," Kyungju laughed shortly, "I'm glad you changed your mind, Juminny! Because otherwise me and Daddy would have leaked this to the public, and your company would have immediately fallen into a scandal!" Now she didn't bother to hold back her manic laughter as she stared down at him with something akin to pity.

"Poor little Jumin, with such a disgusting womanizer for a father..." Kyungju taunted him without mercy, somehow smiling wider and wider. "...And now he's getting remarried again. Not only disgusting, but an idiot, too... What a pig..."

She sat on his lap without a care, while he struggled to not throw her off him with the immense revulsion that he was forced to push down.

"It's so easy to get blackmail on him... but I can't keep critiquizing my father-in-law, I guess." She sighed deeply with a shrug, now laying down over Jumin's legs.

He kept staring at her, stress marked all over his face; every second it became harder to hide his repugnance towards her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she chuckled, covering her mouth with one hand after lifting her head slightly. "Aren't you happy...? You're going to have me, after all... Finally, I'll be yours..."

She grabbed his tie, pulling him down. "...And you know what's the funniest part?"

Seeing his reclutant silence wasn't going to stop, she rolled her eyes and laughed once again. "...That there is nothing you can do about it." She brought his face closer to hers, nearly whispering her next sentence as her grin vanished completely. "I won."

Then, suddenly, he broke into a smile. Just like that, he was smiling at her, seeming smug almost. 

Kyungju couldn't have been more shocked and confused if Jumin grew wings and turned into a purple, dancing frog all of the sudden.

But when he also stood up, sending her tumbling to the floor, she was proven wrong. Staring up at him, completely perplexed, she saw him dust off his clothes, as if getting rid of dirt or something.

"I apologize, but that spot you were occupying is already reserved for someone else," he said simply, not looking at her, even though he still seemed very content.

"Wha— what the f— Why are you smiling?!" she fumbled over her words, barely able to speak.

She saw him pulling out his phone from one of his pockets, looking at the screen with what only could be described as perfect satisfaction, while pressing some buttons as well.

"Hey! Stop ignoring me, you bastard!" she screeched, getting up from the ground furiously. Before she could pull his arm as she wanted, he immediately turned his face towards her, his smooth smile still intact.

"What the hell did you do?!" she questioned defensively, now her heart was slamming against her ribcage with utter fear and suspicion.

"Nothing," he responded calmly, adjusting the cuffs on his sleeve. Then he looked up at her, smirking. "Would you care to accompany me over a glass of wine?"

Kyungju had the urge to pinch herself; just to be sure she wasn't dreaming. But she was too dumbfounded to even move her lips and answer him. All she could do was slowly nod her head repeatedly, looking actually innocent for once.

* * *

"Miss Kyungju!" The door to Jumin's office was basically slammed open, and two of his security guards, alongside some man they were cautiously watching over, burst into the room. "Miss Kyungju!" he exclaimed again, sounding anguished.

Kyungju coyly pulled away from her cup of wine, glancing at her manager with clear puzzlement. Jumin merely kept drinking from his while sitting across from her, unmoved. "Is there something wrong, Manager-nim...?" she asked. 

Her manager looked at her with complete panic, his face contorting into an aggravated glare. "You don't know...?" he muttered lowly, his voice almost bordering a growl.

Question marks could appear over Echo Girl's head. "Know what?"

"...Look at this," he signaled her, turning on his phone and showing the screen to her with his volume fully turned up.

 _"Hehe, I'm glad you changed your mind, Juminny! Because otherwise me and Daddy would have leaked this to the public, and your company would have immediately fallen into a scandal!"_ She heard her own voice gloating, and both her heart and brain stopped functioning at the same time. 

_"Poor little Jumin, with such a disgusting womanizer for a father... And now he's getting remarried again. Not only disgusting, but an idiot, too... What a pig..."_ Jumin looked up from his wine glass, silently separating his lips from the drink. 

_"It's so easy to get blackmail on him... but I can't keep critiquizing my father-in-law, I guess."_ Echo Girl's face blanched to the point she looked like a ghost; frightening her manager. 

_"Why are you looking at me like that? Aren't you happy...? You're going to have me, after all... Finally, I'll be yours... And you know what's the funniest part?"_ Jumin couldn't hide his true emotions any longer, and a triumphant smirk extended over his features. 

_"...That there is nothing you can do about it. I won."_

There was an ear-deafening silence perpetrated by Kyungju, who immobilized, stared at the nothing with the eyes of the dead. 

Finally, her mouth moved ever so slightly. "H-how... how?" was all she could utter. 

"I merely recorded your words," Jumin explained, simple and straightforward. "Now not only I, but all of Korea will bear witness of who you truly are, Kyungju Choi."

He stood up, about to order the security guards to get Echo Girl and her manager out of his sight. "...You spent quite a lot of time thinking of ways of tarnishing my reputation..."

Echo Girl kept staring at him speechlessly, flabbergasted, as the guards took a hold of her arms. 

"...But don't forget that you have a reputation that can be tarnished, as well," he reminded her, pleasingly seeing her getting dragged away from his office alongside her anxious manager. "Goodbye. Have a great evening."


	34. Caramel Candy

The first words that registered inside Echo Girl's mind were her manager's, snapping at her for messing everything up and ruining her own career.

"...Just wait until your father hears about this! This can't be salvaged anymore, nothing we say to the press can fix this... I'll certainly end up fired either way." he spat, angered and running a frustrated hand over his bald head.

She could feel her nails gripping so hard into her hands that they left nearly bloody marks behind.

"...What?" she murmured, slowly coming back to reality.

Her manager sighed deeply, laying a tired hand on her shoulder. "Your career, miss..." When she still looked at him in pure confusion, he continued. "It's over."

After a scary length of silence standing in the entrance of C&R, already having been kicked out by the security guards, she laughed. "Over?" She laughed even more boisterously now. "What are you talking about?"

"Miss... With the statements you made... And said statements becoming a public, it won't be long before you become a complete pariah in this industry—"

Her laughter stopped, reality sinking in.

" _Shut up_! No— no, there's no way I'll let that happen!" she screamed, almost hysterically, before he quickly took a hold of her shoulders to try to calm her furious self.

Her sharp fingernails dug into his arms, forcing him away while he concernedly called after her. "Ms. Choi!"

"Shut up, no! There's no way!" She yelled out, pulling at her long locks of brown hair. " _No way_!" Her expression completely darkened. She held herself tightly, barely preventing her body from falling to the ground in shock.

 _What had she done_...? This really hadn't worked out her way. None of it had.

It only angered her more. How did he dare...

The uncomfortable manager saw the way she gritted her teeth, gripping her arms even tighter while her eyes became colder. Icier.

Suddenly, she opened her mouth slightly. She murmured something inaudible.

He wasn't able to hear what she said. "Miss?"

"...No matter what, I won't go down alone. They will come with me."

He saw how her pink lips curled into a small smile.

* * *

He was about to rush out of his office, running to go back to Jaehee.

She certainly deserved an explanation after all this, he decided.

But he got interrupted by his father's entrance into his office. He was surprised, to say the least.

"Weren't you on a trip with Mother?" Was all he could ask, before the Chairman closed the door behind him and stared at Jumin grimly.

"Yes... But..." He could see the strained expression on his father's face and he knew it had been nothing good. In fact, it had been enough to leave his normally unscathed father looking like a broken man.

"Your mother and I broke it off, Jumin."

It took a minute to process the words. "...Broke it off?" Then he realized. "You broke off the engagement?"

The Chairman could barely manage a nod before he sat down in front of him in a slump.

Jumin sighed; he wasn't sure why he felt so relieved and why he felt so hurt at the same time.

Whatever this mess of emotions was, he didn't want to deal with it. Not right now.

What he wanted the most was to return to Jaehee and give her the good news that Echo Girl was finally off their backs — not that she knew she was on them to begin with. To finally be able to celebrate with her...

But his father... Seeing him in this condition, he knew he couldn't abandon him at a time like this.

He drove him mad: bringing woman after woman, thoughtlessly having foolish affairs (to the point he caused this whole blackmailing situation), and completely ignoring the way it affected his reputation and the company.

Complety ignoring the way it affected Jumin himself. As a child he had to grow up seeing all that. Seeing all his superficial, gold-digging women vanish one after one.

A very small part of him always wondered, if maybe his mother had been one of them, too... Maybe that's why she left.

Or maybe she had left him so broken-hearted, such as now, that he was simply unable to function normally anymore and became a completely different kind of person.

Jumin poured the Chairman a glass of wine, a special one he had stashed away inside one of the small cabinets of his office.

He saw his father shed small tears silently — it wasn't a sight he had been expecting, but one received nonetheless — as he explained everything that happened between them to him while he pretended to be interested.

He tried his best to console him, while he himself felt a tight squeeze of his heart. He doubted he'd ever see his mother again.

* * *

Jaehee sometimes rushed too soon for her own good.

Maybe if she had inspected the number ID better, maybe if she had actually looked over the out-of-character form of speech she would have noticed.

_"Come outside, Assistant Kang. I need you urgently, right now."_

Suddenly calling her Assistant Kang through his texts now, and suddenly asking for her to come outside with such urgency.

Of course she complied.

If he got hurt and she didn't come to his aid in time because she was busy paranoidly reading between the lines, she would never forgive herself.

She had never expected that it'd be _her_ who would end up hurt, though.

 _"Jumin must be in a lot of trouble if he sent me a text like this..."_ she mused inside her head, sheer worry inundating her thoughts. _"I hope it had nothing to do with Echo Girl... I must get to him before—"_

Jaehee had walked out to the back exit of the C&R building — just as a new message had instructed — and she didn't expect to suddenly get grabbed by strong, suffocating arms and gotten her mouth covered with some kind of handerkief that immediately made her feel dizzy.

She realized a muscular man wearing black and sunglasses, who resembled a bodyguard, had seized her: holding both her arms forcefully behind her back and not allowing her to move enough to even think of using Judo to fight him off.

Left with no better alternative, she kicked her legs as much as she could, attempting to free herself in vain, trying her best to scream out loud, but with her mouth tightly muffled by the handerkief he had wrapped around her face, it was near impossible for it to be heard.

Before Jaehee realized, she was unconscious and hastily thrown into the backseat of a dark car.

* * *

Jaehee heard voices.

They sounded dim, and they were hushing and whispering as if they didn't want to wake her.

But she was already awake, a fact they were seemingly oblivious to. She was confused, unaware of her surroundings until she slowly managed to open her eyes again, her breathing harsh through her lungs.

Her heart was beating frantically inside her ribcage, to the point she felt it may explode; and she rapidly glanced around, as quickly as she could, trying to recognize her location and see the faces of her captors.

Realizing she was living this nightmare again. No... She didn't want to relive it. She was so scared she could barely breathe — the flashbacks that reminded her of another time she was kidnapped didn't help her in the least.  
.  
.  
.

Her six-year-old self was sobbing out her already puffy, red eyes — tears falling thickly over her bruised cheeks.

When he heard her screaming, the cold-blooded kidnapper had harshly slapped her across the face.

It hurt. It stung like the sharpest pain she had ever experienced.

And knowing she was in this kind of hopeless situation, alone, left in the hands of the horrible people keeping her captive only made it worse.

Jaehee was alone... Completely alone and left to die. She was unable to stop her helpless wailing.

"Shut up, or you'll get slapped again, girl." the man retorted, clearly unimpressed, while he fixed the cuffs of his sleeve with that same cruel glint in his eyes.

Jaehee did her best to shush herself up, biting her lips hard to prevent them from making any noise.

"You should be thankful, though," he snickered darkly, another man walking inside the damp and stuffy room as he pushed a young child around her age, who quickly lost his balance with his hands tied behind his back. "You'll be getting a new friend today."

Jaehee was in complete shock when the little boy of raven black hair stumbled over, falling on his knees right next to her. She immediately glanced towards him, observing how for being someone who just got kidnapped, his face looked immaculately blank.

But beneath the blank mask, she could see the anger. Cold, piercing anger and disdain.

"Behave, I'm sure we'll get a good ransom for the brat. Make sure his hands are well tied this time though, he tried to make a sneaky little escape while I wasn't looking in the car." He smacked the back of the silent boy's head, not holding back any force.

Even when hit so harshly, the boy didn't make a sound; only staring down at the floor with empty eyes.

Small whimpers escaped Jaehee's lips, and she quickly forced herself to look away.

The captors, two scruffy but clearly strong men, gave them a last, withering glance before they slammed the door behind them. 

The boy stayed on his scraped knees. Not staring at anything in particular but not looking at her at any cost.

Jaehee slowly began to cry again, feeling even more hopeless than before. She knew it had been selfish when she felt glad someone else her age was around and she wasn't completely alone anymore.

But now she regretted it. She regretted it so bitterly.

"...Mommy... Mom..." Jaehee cried softly, knowing her mom wouldn't hear her, yet not wanting to keep the words stuck inside her throat.

The boy finally turned towards her. His eyes were just as cold as she had noticed before. "Stop."

"Huh...?"

" _Stop it,_ " he barked, clearly annoyed. "Your mother's not going to hear you... Dummy," he murmured the last word under his breath as he looked away

She gulped down the tight knot in her throat. "What...? What about your mom...?" When he didn't answer, she finally asked the question that was befuddling her mind, "Aren't you scared?"

His face was turned away from her, and looking him over more intricately, she could see the expensive and fancy clothes he wore: a short-sleeved white shirt with grey stripes, and dark shorts with straps over his shoulders — like overalls, but way more elegant-looking.

If she remembered hard, her mother had mentioned them once while she worked sewing clothes. Sus... Suspenders?

He finally pushed himself down, sitting next to her in a small thud. From closer she could see the pretty shade of grey his eyes were — they looked like stormy clouds.

"...No." He finally turned his face to her, and even though he tried to hide it, she could his eyes wavering. "My father is gonna come for me. I know he is."

"Your mom—"

"I know my father's gonna come." he repeated curtly, cutting her short. She heard his firm voice fluctuate for a second and she didn't ask again. It was clearly something painful to him.

They were silent for a long while.

"...D-do you think they're gonna come for us?" Jaehee asked softly.

"Tch." He scoffed. "They'll come for me. I'm worth too much."

Jaehee slowly glanced at him. Scared, but more and more curious of who he was. "B-but... What about me?"

The boy was silent, glancing at her momentarily. He must have seen something in her gaze, because his own immediately softened. As if apologizing for his previous harshness towards her.

"...They'll come for you, too. I'll make sure of it," he told her with just as much assurance as he had before; looking at her with with such a confident sense of assertiveness that she felt her honey-brown eyes widen. "I'm giving you my word... I never go back on it."

She was quiet for a while, unresponsive.

He became worried for a second before he saw the corners of her lips quirk up a little. Her eyes still looked as sad, but for some reason there was some kind of sincere trust in them.

"...My name's Jaehee..."

He didn't answer for a while, and she feared he wouldn't tell her his name.

And he didn't. Looking at the darkened expression in his eyes, she knew he wouldn't. At least for now. "Jaehee..." he said her name softly, "...I'll protect you."

Jaehee seemed surprised at what he said, but her shoulders relaxed slightly. "I'll protect you, too... Oppa."

It became a promise.

* * *

"Father... I understand you're going through a difficult moment right now, but I need to see my assistant."

An hour had passed, if not more, and Jumin was growing more and more anxious to check on Jaehee. Every time he tried to excuse himself, his father kept him down by starting a new rant about his mother or going back to his silent sobbing and drinking and "nobody cares for this old man, not even his son" discourse.

However, it had been enough.

He needed to see her.

"Jumin, come on..." The Chairman whined, now immensely drunk. "You're really gonna leave me like this? Have a little filial piety... Human sympathy, son! This is why people call you an emotionless robot!"

"Father, you're getting too emotional again." Jumin sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, and got up — before his father grabbed his arm.

"What is so important that you're itching so hard to go?" he inquired now, clearly irritated as he harrumphed.

"My gi— my _assistant_ ," he repeated, purposely emphasizing the word. _"I almost said girlfriend,"_ he realized, sweat-dropping and chastising himself. His father certainly didn't need to know about his true relationship with Jaehee. _"I should be more careful."_

"What's so important about her?" his father drawled, crossing his arms. "Isn't she the one who quit...?"

Jumin was quickly growing annoyed. He freed his arm from his father's grasp easily before walking down to the door.

"W-wait...!" His father yelled out, dramatically holding out his hand towards him. "Jumin, I know there's something you're not telling me... Isn't there?! You and that 'assistant' of yours... There's something weird between you two!"

Jumin was alarmed for a second, but then realized that the one speaking wasn't his sober, perceptive father, but an extremely drunk, fibbing version of him.

"I don't have time for this," he said simply, before the door slammed behind him.

"Wait... Huh... _That boy_ ," Chairman Han muttered exasperatedly after heaving a deep sigh. "Doesn't he know that I can tell when he's lying...? I was the one who raised him."

He took another swig of red wine.

He had suspected his son was in love with his assistant for a while — and seeing the way Jumin's shoulders had momentarily tensed up when he brought it up was enough of an answer for him.

"...So that's why he didn't want to agree to the arranged marriage..." He chuckled slightly in amusement. "It's nice... To finally see him in love. I hope it goes well for him..." _Even if it didn't for me,_ he left out.

* * *

"Jaehee?" She wasn't in her office. That was the first red flag for him.

He turned to one of the other employees, a man named Jin. _"Oh... He's the same pesky guy from the race event."_ He shrugged the momentary annoyance off. "You. Have you seen where Assistant Kang went?"

Jin blinked. "Ms. Kang? Um, no. I thought she was still working at her office?"

Mi-Cha arrived from the company kitchen, bringing a cup of green tea with her. "Jaehee? Did something happen to her?" she quickly asked with concern.

"I'm not completely certain yet." He looked downwards, eyes closing as a headache took over him. "Did you see her go anywhere?"

Mi-Cha thought deeply, putting a finger over her chin as she squinted her eyes. "Yes... Before I left, I think I saw her quickly get up. She... She went towards the exit over there, I think?" She pointed to a white sign with red letters on it, leading to a stairway, which led to the back exit of the building.

Jumin's eyes widened slightly. Why would she do that? It was out-of-character of her to suddenly up and leave without informing anyone...

He didn't say anything before quickly storming through the door of the exit, MC hot on his heels.  
.  
.  
.

He didn't find her. The parking lot of the back exit was eerily empty.

No one.

He looked down at the ground and noticed something.

A candy wrap.

"Huh?" he murmured before reaching down and picking it up. He felt his heartbeat come to a halt when he realized what it was.

The caramel candy he had given to Jaehee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I'm back from the hiatus :) Thanks for reading! Hopefully I'll keep steady updates from now on.


	35. Memoria

Why was the world spinning?

The environment around him started to blur together as he slowly stepped back, accidentally too steeply. He would have fallen back had there not been a wall right behind him.

Mi-Cha instantly seemed worried, quickly taking a hold of his shoulders to prevent him from collapsing due to dizziness and a sudden, painful headache that threatened to end them both. "Are you okay, Mr. Han?!" she exclaimed, mostly confused about his sudden condition.

"Jae... Jaehee. Where is she?" he managed to get out with a hoarse voice. "Ugh, my head," he groaned, massaging one of his temples in an attempt to relieve his migraine.

Mi-Cha only stared at him in nervous silence, letting go of his shoulders; Jumin had a murderous look in his eyes.

If his intuition was right (and, God, he hoped not), he would unleash hell on whoever decided to mess with him this way.

If Jaehee was harmed — whoever decided to harm her would live a very short life, that he would make sure of.

"Let's check the security cameras," he said, his voice now crisp and authoritative. He turned around without another word, and Mi-Cha fumbled with her clipboard before quickly following after him as a bundle of nerves.

* * *

The security guard in charge of checking the cameras had been asleep — Jumin was sure of it — but he only shoved him aside in a hurry, immediately getting to the point.

The security guard, trembling in fear, quickly explained how "he had been taken a very, _very_ short break" at the time of whatever incident caused Jaehee to disappear, praying and basically begging Mr. Han not to fire him as the executive director coolly dismissed him and checked the camera recording himself.

Jumin's cold grey eyes were narrow as he saw the scene occur in front of him: it was quick, which made it even more disturbing. Jaehee unawarely opened the door of the back exit, oblivious to the tall man standing behind the door. He rapidly grabbed both her arms, twisting them behind her back as Jaehee flailed in the air, trying to kick him.

It was a failed attempt. Then man dressed in dark clothing expertly put a white bandana, which was probably drugged, over her mouth and she quickly feel unconscious.

Then she was quickly thrown inside the black car awaiting them both, the man in black got in the passenger's seat and the vehicle's tires screeched before it disappeared from the parking lot.

Mi-Cha immediately gasped, eyes wild as she discovered what Jumin had already been suspecting and dreading. " _Jaehee_ — No—! They took her... Mr. Han, what are we gonna do?!"

"What else? Of course we'll organize a search party and find her. Go make the arrangements right now, Ms. Park." he said more coldy that he had meant to sound, but at the moment being kind to his employees wasn't exactly the first concern in his mind, as unpleasant of a boss that may make him.

He got up causing the chair he'd been sitting on to spin as he quickly abandoned the room.

* * *

**[Jumin Han has entered the chatroom]**

**Jumin:** Luciel.

 **Jumin:** Answer my call.

 **707:** Uh-huh, why should I

 **707:** U finally gonna give me an invitation to go visit Elly???

 **Jumin:** No time for fooling around. Answer your phone.

 **707:** Always so dry... ;;

 **707:** Fine, fine, but if it's not about Elly, I'll hang up ^3^

**[707 has left the chatroom]**

**[Jumin Han has left the chatroom]**

**[Yoosung★ has entered the chatroom]**

**Yoosung:** Hiya!

 **Yoosung:** Huh?? What's with you guys? What's going on, Jumin? Lol

**[Jumin Han has entered the chatroom]**

**Jumin:** Assistant Kang has been abducted.

 **Yoosung** : What lol Ur joking, right?

 **Jumin:** ...

 **Yoosung:** You're joking?? Right???

**[707 has entered the chatroom]**

**707:** Nope. Jaehee was kidnapped for real.

 **Yoosung:** WHAT?!!! 

**Yoosung:** what xhksndkj

 **Jumin:** Stop keyboard smashing.

 **Yoosung:** Is she ok?? I mean... She probably isn't, but what are we gonna do?

 **Jumin:** We'll obviously search for her. I'm organizing the search party right now. I'm only putting my best workers in this operation, we'll call it the C&R Intel Unit. Luciel is marking down Jaehee's location at the moment.

 **Yoosung:**...I mean, we could always call the police?

 **Jumin:** Inefficient. But Mi-Cha is also contacting them as of now.

 **Yoosung:** Is there anything I can do to help??

 **Jumin:** I'm trying to contact V right now, which I suppose isn't something you would wish to help with. But you could alert Zen so you both keep an eye out for any suspicious activity or any clue to her location you may find.

 **Yoosung:** Okay, I'll—

 **Jumin:** I have to go. Excuse me.

**[Jumin Han has left the chatroom]**

**Yoosung:** I'll alert Zen ;; I hope Jaehee is okay and that Jumin will be able to find her...

* * *

"Any new information?" Jumin inquired to Luciel through the phone, while on the other side of the line, the red-headed hacker was busy working on his various computers.

"Negative," he said quickly, "It's strange. It should be easy to find her location just by localizing her phone, which she should have with her... Unless..."

"Unless they broke it or threw it away," Jumin finished his sentence, glaring at nothing as he unconsciously gritted his teeth.

"Yeah. In that case it will be more difficult to pinpoint it."

Jumin grunted, frustrated as he stared at a navy blue map in front of him which an Intel employee was also examining.

The earset and microphone he wore allowed him to quickly give orders to the many hackers working to find Jaehee and receive immediate, new information without having to be in many different places at once. If Jaehee had been here, he likely would have named her the head of the unit.

She would have been perfect at the job; which was probably ironic.

A sudden idea came to him, accompanied by a less than pleasant memory.

When he had been kidnapped, he immediately memorized the street and the avenue where he was taken, and latter kept tied up. That house, deep in that dark basement for days.

He couldn't forget it. What if... Just what if...

"What if she's there?"

He could almost picture Seven frowning in confusion.

"What? _Where_?"

"In that house. I'll send you the address... Just check it."

"All right."

The line went quiet for a minute that Jumin spent anxiously waiting.

"She is. Oh my God. _She is_!" Luciel exclaimed in what began as a disbelieving murmur and then erupted into a joyous holler. "Yoo-hoo! We found her, we found—"

"Focus, Luciel." Jumin couldn't contain his smile even as he reproached him. _"Jaehee,"_ his thoughts ran rampant.

"I'm checking the security cameras in that street and I'm sure," Seven continued, sounding slightly more professional (as professional as 707 could be at least). "There's the same black car with the same license plate. It's parked just in front of the house."

Jumin sighed in relief as his shoulders slumped, having been so stiff before.

"...But wait, Jumin..."

The raven-haired man noticed the hesitancy in his voice.

"How did you know about this house?"

Jumin was startled. The memory of the house haunted him, and it presented itself in the back of his mind without welcome.

He saw a flash of her. That little girl he had been trapped with. It unsettled him.

Forgetting something as important as her name or her face would seem impossible for someone as diligent as Jumin.

But he did forget. No matter how hard he tried to remember her name... He could only make out the sweetness of her voice and that soft, kind smile.

Long, dark brown pigtails bouncing around as she let out those rare, glowing bouts of quiet laughter to cheer him up when he was at his lowest, but also shooting him surprisingly serious looks when he questioned if they were beyond saving.

That girl... For some reason, he had always thought Assistant Kang was a lot like her.

"...No reason," he finally settled in hurriedly saying.

"Huh, yeah," Seven rolled his eyes in irritation. As if he would expect him to believe that. "Anyway, we should probably get there as soon as possible. Is your search party ready?"

"They are. And so is my helicopter."

"Oh, oka— Wait, _helicopter_?!" the hacker shouted out, incredulous.

"Yes. I'll hang up now."

" _Wait, Ju_ —!"

He ignored the last part Seven had squeaked out. He knew what he would say: was he crazy? Arriving to a small neighborhood in an helicopter? Did he know the immense amount of attention he would attract?

Jumin exhaled deeply, running a hand through his dark hair.

He _wanted_ to draw attention. That way they would know just at the exact moment that they were cornered.

That Jaehee would know that he hadn't abandoned her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jaehee was still under her captors' surveillance. Her eyes looked downwards as stray brown strands of hair that had fallen out of her (usually tidy) ponytail covered half her face.

They continued discussing about things she didn't fully understand, though now not even bothering to cover their voices — she didn't know if it scared her.

She tugged slightly at her hands, which were still tightly tied behind her; it would leave marks. At first she had been hyperventilating, terrified out of her mind and unable to think clearly, seeing herself in this kind of situation all over again, and now truly alone, completely horrified her.

But now many hours had passed, and she just felt like an empty shell. Dejected, she could only think of him.

Was Jumin looking for her right now?

Maybe he didn't wasn't... Maybe he didn't know.

Maybe he couldn't have bothered to care, the more insecure side of her suggested, but she immediately pushed the uneasy thought away. Jumin wouldn't do that.

Jumin cared about her... Right? He liked her... _Right_?

She sighed. Just liking someone wasn't enough to risk your life trying to find them if they vanished out of nowhere, leaving no trace behind.

She kept chastising and beating herself up over walking out of that door, and without telling anyone.

"Yeah, she's behaving," one of the men in front of her uttered, biting at a cigarette as he spoke to someone on the phone. "Hasn't tried anything just yet." He spat out the cigarette, and it hit Jaehee on the head before landing on the ground.

The cracked screen of her phone glared at her from the other side of the room, having been immediately broken (almost in half) and tossed aside by one of the kidnappers.

If only she could call for help. But it was impossible...

The next thing the man on the phone said made her blood go cold.

"Do we kill her?"

She immediately flinched, raising her head to see the amused look on the masked man's eyes. He seemed to enjoy scaring her.

But she didn't think for a second his question wasn't serious.

The man now stayed silent for a short while, listening to what whoever on the other line was saying. Jaehee anxiously awaited his reaction, only that way would she know whether her life was safe or if it was long over.

Her heart sank when the man smirked, looking at her in a chillingly cold glance. "Good."

She briefly wondered what the other person had said: if they had given him permission to end her life or not.

But she already knew the answer.

* * *

Echo Girl had been manicuring her nails, a masseur tending to and massaging her feet, when the hitman called her.

She smiled contently as she wedged her phone between her arm and her ear, raising her pastel blue fingernails to examine them more closely. "Talk. How is it going with her?" she questioned briskly.

"All according to plan," he replied, not bothering to say any kind of greeting. "She's here now. I tied up her hands and ankles. Thought about gagging her but she doesn't make any noise," he cackled, as if this was all some kind of joke.

It wasn't a joke to her, it was revenge. Cold, sweet revenge. However, she couldn't help her small giggle. "Is she behaving?"

"Yeah, she's behaving. Hasn't tried anything just yet."

"Amazing, she's more pathetic than I thought." Kyungju laid her chin on her hand, grinning widely. "Or maybe she just knows she isn't going to get away from this. With you in charge and me pulling the strings, there's no chance anything will go wrong."

She heard the man hum in agreement.

"I can't wait to see Juminny's face after this—" She barely contained a laugh. "That annoying bastard."

It was after she said that that the hitman asked her a question that took her by surprise (despite the fact that the person asking it was, behold, a hitman).

"Do we kill her?"

Echo Girl's blue eyes widened ever so slightly. She had done, well, "naughty" things before (a tiny bit of fraud and embezzlement and a little bribery over there), but she had to admit, she had never directly caused the death of someone.

Killing the assistant...

That pesky, irritating b—

She realized she was glaring daggers at her masseur, who nervously let go of her feet. She relaxed her face: glaring caused wrinkles. She was too pretty for those.

Honestly, she wouldn't mind if she died. She knew someone who would, though...

She smirked. This revenge was just getting better and better.

"If it comes down to it, do it." She shrugged, feigning calmness. "But let's have a little fun with her first. Would be too bad if she's gone too soon..."

"Good," was all the man ominously replied before hanging up.

* * *

Now the three captors were looking at Jaehee with twisted, amused looks that sickened her. One of them stepped to the front (the one who had been talking on the phone and seemingly, the leader).

"Someone isn't going to have a lot of fun," he laughed.

Jaehee struggled with the rope that was tying her hands, uneasily squirming under their dangerous gaze. They cast as a shadow over as they got closer and Jaehee's eyes widened in terror as the leader pulled out a sharp knife from his back pocket.

He slid one of his fingers over the edge as he smiled, leering at her.

Jaehee feared the worst when the sudden, loud sound of police sirens interrupted the man. Everyone turned to the window of the semi-basement, where the noise was coming from.

One of the hitmen swore under his breath as the other stepped back in shock, accidentally bumping into the leader and causing him to drop his knife, which fell close enough that Jaehee was able to turn around and eventually grab it.

The men were too distracted by the hoard of police cars situated right outside the house to notice. Two hurried out the door, still cursing, as Jaehee quietly, but as quickly as she could, sawed away the ropes on her wrists with the knife.

It was difficult, but not impossible. She still couldn't help the content sound she made when her hands were finally free. Thankfully, the hitman still in the room hadn't heard — though he was starting to notice something was off.

Jaehee hurried in cutting off the ropes over her ankles and hyperventilating again (if they caught her, she would be dead before she knew it) she saw the many weapons laying around in the corner of the room, between them an old, discarded baseball bat.

That would be enough for her.

She silently got on her feet, but stayed low, so the man wouldn't see her as easily. She rushed towards the bat, out of breath (due to fear and panic rather physical exertion), and just as she took a hold of the handle, the hitman saw her.

Her breath hitched before rushing out of her mouth too quickly again as she ran towards him.

He pulled out his gun. "Hey—"

But Jaehee swung the bat at his face so hard it would put a professional baseball player to shame. She saw a broken, bloody nose as the man staggered back, falling to the ground alongside his weapon with a thud.

Jaehee was ninety-nine percent sure she had successfully given him a concussion.

Before she could even take a breath, she heard quick footsteps rushing downstairs.

She heard the sound of... an helicopter? That couldn't be right. She narrowed her eyes in disbelief just as the door burst open and one of the hitmen ran towards her. Before she ran from him, she saw someone was following the man closely.

They firmly stood in the entrance of the door, blocking it. Jaehee momentarily looked up, still running from the hitman who was still chasing her.

She gasped and stumbled, astonished.

She saw Jumin, glaring at the man with a look about as murderous as the gun he was pointing at him.

"...J-Jumin," she barely got out, voice croaky. " _Jumin_...! I—"

Before she could say another word, and before Jumin could shoot him, the man — the leader from before — had taken a hold of her throat, suffocating her.

As if asphyxiating her weren't enough, he shoved his own gun to the side of her head. "If you move, I'll shoot her," he stated threateningly, fully intending to do so.

She saw Jumin's scowl run deeper, after his steely eyes grew wide for a second. She could tell he was gritting his teeth; he looked anxious — if not more than her, and she was the one being suffocated — and his eyes darted wildly as if searching for anything he could utilize against him.

He found nothing. He saw how Jaehee was starting to turn blue, losing more oxygen, and he didn't need more incentives to give up and throw the gun to the ground, tossing it away with his foot for good measure. "Let go of her," he commanded, voice icy, and glare even more so.

Jaehee inhaled air deeply as the man loosened his hold on her ever so slightly, seemingly confident Jumin wouldn't be able to do anything to harm him anymore.

Little did he know that Jaehee could still do it. He let her loose enough that she was able to elbow him hard in the gut; knocking the air out of him.

The man gasped, falling back whilst hunched over, arms wrapped around his pained stomach.

Jaehee took the opportunity to grab his gun, which had dropped the ground as he was still groaning in pain, backed into a corner.

She pointed it directly at him without hesitation, though she seemed less firm and assured in her stance than Jumin had — likely because she never thought she'd go from being the one with a gun pointed to her head to being the one pointing it at her captor so quickly.

The man looked up at her from the ground, a malicious smirk growing on his face. "Ha, I know you won't shoot," he told her tauntingly, chuckling.

As if she wouldn't.

Despite her shakiness, Jaehee pulled the trigger and shot right next to his head to make a point — leaving a hole in the wall and, pleasingly, scaring the man half to death.

Nor Jaehee or Jumin moved as the police arrived, at least a dozen officers running down the stairs and easily outnumbering the sole captor still in the premises who wasn't unconscious.

They quickly passed by both Jumin and Jaehee, who were still too deep in shock to react, trembling ever so slightly. They rapidly handcuffed the man sitting on the floor as well as the other, unconscious one.

It was a few moments later, where she finally realized her heart was beating — and so fast. She was still alive. She turned around towards Jumin, letting go of the gun in her hand, which dropped to the ground with a thud.

She was breathing rapidly with an increasingly fast heartbeat — and she had a feeling he was in the same condition — but the moment she saw him she finally broke down in tears, sobbing quietly.

She ran towards him as he did the same, and the two met halfway as they enveloped each other in a tight, desperate embrace. He cradled her head, caressing her loose, tangled hair, and held her back as she snug down under his chin and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. They kept fumbling in their hold in what seemed like clumsy, fleeting touches.

The two's legs gave away as they slowly fell on the ground, on their knees, still hugging.

Jumin kept running his hands through her long brown hair, trying to reassure himself that she was safe now and she would be as long as he could protect her — now he would, more than anything. He would personally make sure something like this never occured to her again; no danger or harm would reach her.

 _"She... She's here. She's alive. God... She's safe."_ He realized there were small tears running down his cheeks. He was crying? It was extremely rare, but he thought he could excuse himself this time.

He had just reunited with her and she was alive and he just realized that he—

"I love you," he said, not having been more sure of anything in his life.

Jaehee pulled away from him, momentarily gaping a bit in surprise, but then she laughed softly — that sweet laugh that reminded him of her — wait, that little girl it was—

Long brown hair that fell in slight waves, warm golden brown eyes and the way she gazed at him. That girl...!

"It's you."

Jaehee's eyes widened and, seeing him in front of her now — that silky raven hair and those steely, but warm grey eyes, the serious voice —she wondered how could she have been so blind.

"It _is_ you...! Oppa!" She immediately covered her mouth in shock and she flushed.

He blushed, too. "...I like it when you call me that... Even then."

The two stared at each other for what could have been a century. Intense silence.

Then, the two broke into ecstatic smiles, laughter bubbling up inside their throats.

They continued laughing for a while, at the whole irony of it all, as Jaehee hunched over while holding her stomach just like the hitman had done — only this time it hurt because laughter instead of a blow in the gut.

As the laughter died down, Jumin embraced her again, kissing the top of her head and letting his chin rest there.

They didn't say anything for a while again, before Jaehee said, as if talking about the weather, "I love you, too, you know? I always have."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Next chapter is the last. :)


	36. Because I Only See You

Jumin and Jaehee were seven and six respectively when they were still trapped in that very small room, kept away from the rest of the world for three days.

There were cobwebs and big spiders lurking around in the darkness, and even though she was trying her best to hide it, Jumin could see Jaehee shuddering.

"Are you afraid of spiders?" he asked with curiosity.

Jaehee huffed and crossed her arms, not wanting to be seen as a scaredy cat. "I just don't like them."

"I see," he replied robotically.

Jaehee kept glancing at the place she last saw the spider, fearful but not wanting Jumin to know. After all, the last time she showed her fear to him, he only got mad at her, didn't he? He responded so coldly...

_"Stop it. Your mother's not going to hear you... Dummy."_

It was getting chilly. There was a leak in the roof and small droplets of water sometimes fell on either of their heads since it was raining torrents outside.

When Jaehee was finally starting to relax — her shoulders slumping as she sighed — the big spider suddenly appeared behind her back.

She leapt up with a shriek.

Thankfully, the kidnappers had taken off the ropes tying them from before. Neither of them knew why, but it was probably because now they had moved them to a smaller, more isolated room where they were hidden and no one could find them even if they tried screaming; not to mention the door was locked with a key only the bad guys had.

Jaehee's back hit the wall of the very cramped room. Jumin immediately turned to the arachnid scaring her, which she was staring in terror at.

He quickly grabbed a dusty, old book that was laying around and smacked the unsuspecting spider with it without so much as batting an eye.

 _"How is he so brave?! He did it like it was nothing!"_ Jaehee wondered in her head with wide, flabbergasted eyes — and a secret, new sense of admiration.

She gripped the edges of her yellow sweater nervously and looked down at her Mary Jane shoes, bumping them together. "...T-thank you..." she murmured sincerely, glancing away from him.

"It's fine," he answered, deadpan as usual. He noticed she was still trembling. "Are you still scared? The spider is dead. It won't hurt you."

"Um, no. It's just..." She didn't know if she should tell him she was cold.

Jumin huffed, sounding annoyed. "If you're cold, just say so."

She finally turned towards him, now irritated as well. " _Well_ , it's not like you need to—"

"I said I would protect you, didn't I?" Jumin interrupted her, walking towards her and, firmly but gently, tugging down her hand so they were both sitting together. "I never go back on my word... I mean it." Their shoulders were touching as he leaned closer toward her.

Their faces were centimeters apart, and six-year-old Jaehee blushed. "...Why are you getting so close, Oppa?"

She noticed the smallest hints of pink grazing Jumin's cheeks. "So you won't be cold! The most we can do to get warm is huddling together. Don't you know about body warmth, Jaehee?"

"Oh." Seeing his obviously embarrassed expression (which he tried to hide with an irritated frown) made her giggle. She smiled softly at him. "Yeah, Oppa. Thank you."

The two kids leaned into each other, silently; hearing the sound of the rain outside. Even though the whole experience was scary, and she really missed her parents, she was glad that if there was someone she was going to be stuck with — it was him.

"I'm scared..." she admitted, looking away so he wouldn't see the tears surging from her eyes, as she took a hold of his arm. _And hungry,_ but that part she wouldn't say. They hadn't given them food in a long time.

Jumin gave her an understanding look. In a surprisingly gentle voice, he whispered, "Shh, don't worry."

It managed to calm her nerves; then she turned around to see him reaching into his pocket before placing a caramel candy inside her open hand.

She looked at it with surprise.

"Here, have a candy... Enjoy it, and don't cry." He caressed her cheek a bit and encouraged her to eat, (even though he must be hungry, too) which she managed to while pushing away the tears with her other hand.

When he was being so kind, Jaehee thought he looked like a prince — like the ones in the fairy tales her mom used to tell her. Was he really a prince? Jaehee wouldn't be surprised.

With his rich clothes and his elegant way of speaking, even the candy she was chewing seemed expensive — from another world. He seemed cold at first, but inside, he was surprisingly warm.

"Oppa's hungry, too, isn't he?" she asked worriedly.

Jumin shook his head. "I'm fine." She heard his tummy growl and he embarrasedly turned away from her. "Ignore that."

Jaehee sighed slightly. "You need to eat."

"There's nothing we can do."

"We could go to the kitchen..." Jaehee suggested, and he immediately looked at her like she had lost her marbles. "...If the door was open. I'm sure there must be one in this house."

"No. _No_ , we can't. It's too dangerous," he told her sternly.

"...I won't let you starve." Jaehee sounded just as stubborn as him, and Jumin had a feeling she hadn't given up on the idea.

The next morning, there was a loud commotion outside. Jaehee woke up due to the noise, with Jumin having fallen asleep on her shoulder and still resting there. She rubbed her eyes drowsily and got up carefully, trying not to wake him up but failing.

"...What are you doing?" Jumin asked.

Jaehee turned towards him and put a finger over her lips. " _Shh_!"

She then placed her ear over the door, listening to the argument outside.

A woman was yelling, _"I'm_ _not_ _going to take care of those brats! I told you not to bring them!"_

While a man responded, who she recognized as one of the bad guys, _"What else were we supposed to do with them? You look after them. We'll be back by six."_

The woman then said a lot of swear words Jaehee knew her mom would definitely disapprove of and stomped off. She was startled when the lock of the door shook, making a clicking sound.

The door opened.

In front of them was the woman: she looked very tired, with dark bags under her golden eyes that were a stark contrast to her pale skin. Her red hair was beautiful but unkempt.

She glared at them. "You leave this room, I'll have your heads. Don't even think about opening the door," she said simply.

Despite Jumin discouraging her with a shake of his head, Jaehee spoke, "W-wait, can we... have something to eat please?"

The red-haired woman sneered at them. "There's no food for more brats in my home. I already have plenty of them."

Jaehee heard the crying of a baby (or more than one) in the background.

The woman didn't say another word before slamming the door in their faces.

After at least an hour passed and she was sure she had left, Jaehee opened the door slightly, peeking through the small opening.

"Are you insane? Stop. Close it." Jumin immediately got up and took a hold of her shoulders, attempting to pull her away from the door.

Jaehee shook her head firmly, giving him a determined look. "She's gone. She's taking care of her babies. She won't hear us." She carefully slipped out from the room.

Jumin chastised her, whisper-yelling, " _Jaehee_!" He grabbed her arm in refusal, preventing her from leaving.

Jaehee turned towards him with an upset glint in her eyes. "Oppa, we _need_ to eat! We're hungry, and thirsty! They won't give us food or water!" They hadn't eaten or drank anything in days.

He returned her gaze with a glare, voice cold. "So what? You'll risk your life for that?"

Jaehee gave him a pleading look. "...You took care of me yesterday. I wanna take care of you, too..." He recognized the guilt in her voice as she glanced away.

Jumin stared at her for a while. With each second that passed, his sharp eyes softened. He finally gave in. "...Okay. But if we hear anything, we run back, understand?"

Jaehee smiled, nodding. "Understood!"

.  
.  
.

It was the present day now. Weeks after Jaehee had been kidnapped; the people who had captured her were still under investigation.

The night that she returned home to her apartment, she hadn't been able to get even a wink of sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw glimpses of her captors' twisted faces, being tied up, alone and helpless.

She loathed it.

Before, she had nightmares because of the event she suffered as a child, because of her parents' deaths — but now the nightmares had become even more insufferable and painful. She got up from her bed, and in the middle of the night, called Jumin asking if she could stay at his penthouse with him.

He was surprised at first, but accepted without asking questions.

He sent Driver Kim to pick her up, arriving in a car a few minutes later (and still talking on the phone with her to reassure her she would be okay). She was trembling, turning herself into a ball by holding her knees close to her chest and sitting on the floor.

But just listening to Jumin's voice managed to sooth her a little.

After she arrived at the penthouse, Elizabeth the 3rd curled up around her ankles with a meow. For the first time relieved to see the cat, she leaned down and scratched Elizabeth ears contently. Jumin smiled at them both.

The next morning, the two of them woke up cuddled up together on his bed. Neither of them had nightmares.

Ever since that day, Jaehee basically moved to his penthouse to live with him, and she finally felt at her home.

That morning the soft rays of sunlight peered through the curtains in Jumin's bedroom, waking up the two people who were holding each other comfortably — basking on the other's warmth.

"Good morning," she heard Jumin murmur softly, sounding more than a little sleepy.

 _"So cute,"_ she thought with a smile of her own, feeling a small flutter inside her chest. "Morning."

He left a trail of kisses down her neck and her shoulder, pulling her closer against him, their legs tangled under the bedsheets. Jaehee heaved a content sigh, sinking back into him happily.

"You remember that promise we made?" she suddenly asked, voice serious.

He gave her a deep chuckle, a small amused smile growing on his face as he buried it in the crook of her neck. 

"You mean when we were elementary school children? Yes. I remember."

Jaehee smiled. "Good."

"You're so impossibly cute, you know? You shouldn't give Elizabeth the 3rd so much competition."

Jaehee rolled her eyes half-heartedly.

Jumin promptly sat up and she almost complained about him taking away his warmth with him; nearly demanding he went back to spooning her.

He was shirtless, displaying his fit abdomen to her (which she admitted, under a strong blush, was a really nice sight) and stretching his arms over his head before letting himself drop his head comfortably on Jaehee's lap, who had also sat up alongside him.

He almost purred contently, eyes closed, when she started running her hands through his messy, bedhead hair, smiling softly at him.

She was wearing his shirt, which looked more than a little big and oversized on her smaller figure, and almost fit her like a dress — Jumin thought it looked way better on her than him and planned on convincing her to keep it.

Jaehee started playing with his hair; curling the silky, dark strands with her fingers when Jumin spoke.

"I love you, Jaehee," he said suddenly, surprising her as she flinched.

She blushed, but didn't say anything, only nodding and continuing to caress his hair.

"I love you," he repeated with that blank, unemotional face of his (which she had admittedly grown endeared to) but this time opening his grey eyes.

Jaehee nodded again, silently — the blush not having left her face.

Jumin frowned ever so slightly. " _I love youuuu_ ," he drawled out the last words, almost sounding like a whine.

Jaehee finally sighed, sputtering something. "You know I love you, Jumin," she told him, cheeks flushed.

He smirked in satisfaction, before letting his eyes flutter close again. "I merely enjoy hearing it from you." Jaehee stared at him in disbelief before amusedly rolling her eyes: he could be so childish sometimes. "And I enjoy saying it to you, as well."

He liked the way it naturally slid off his tongue.

Jaehee shook her head slightly, smiling. "You don't need to worry about me saying it all the time." She playfully ruffled up his hair, laughing and covering her mouth with the back of her hand while Jumin stared up at her, unamused and infatuated.

"Why?"

"Because I only see you."

* * *

Meanwhile, Seven was having a different kind of morning. A quite eventful one, also — considering the fact that V had decided to call him.

"V?" he answered the phone, instantly concerned about the incoming conversation.

"Luciel, it's good to speak with you again." The mint-haired man answered cryptically, but Seven could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Have Jaehee and Jumin been okay these days?"

"Huh, yeah..." Seven fidgeted with an empty PhD. Pepper can. "Jaehee has been better... You know, ever since she got kidnapped. We're still trying to find who was behind it, though. The police are still working on it, but they're taking their sweet time so I've been investigating, too."

"Oh... I'm glad to hear that. How is your investigation going?"

"So far, I've got a strong lead." He gave out an angry chuckle. "What took them almost a month took me ten hours to find."

"...Can you tell me who did it?"

"Pop sensation," Seven made a show by extending his arms. "Echo Girl."

V sounded surprised. " _Her_? Now that's quite shocking to hear."

"Yup. You'd think she'd be a little smarter than that." Seven exhaled deeply. "I'm gonna inform Jumin later on this evening — right now I have a feeling he's, huh, a little _busy_ with Baehee." He cackled slyly.

"I see..." He could hear V holding back his own laugh. "I'm happy for them."

"That's not all you wanted to say, though? Right?" If he wanted to congratulate them, Luciel was sure both (especially Jumin) would appreciate it more had he called _them_.

"No... I found out what I needed to know."

"You sound relieved," Seven remarked, suspicious.

"Ah, don't get me wrong. I just had to know who was behind all this." He just had to know it wasn't Mint Eye or Rika. Or...

"I see. Well, then there's really nothing else you need to know?"

...Or Luciel's mother. "No. That's all. I'll make sure to contact you more often from now on. Thank you, Luciel."

V hung up. There were a lot of burdensome secrets he carried, and one of them was knowing who had been behind Jumin and Jaehee being kidnapped as children. Mother Choi had always been an abusive, conniving person even before the twins were born.

And it had even been the same house... 

.  
.  
.

The red-haired woman reeked of alcohol — Jumin scrunched his nose as he unpleasantly remembered all the times his father had gotten drunk with wine.

She was staring at them with those deadly amber eyes as the two kids stood in the kitchen, caught red-handed. "...You escaped?"

Jumin immediately put himself in front of Jaehee protectively, glaring back at the woman.

Mother Choi chuckled darkly for a second at both of their silence, before growing impatient and barking at them so harshly Jaehee jumped back while Jumin almost did. " _Answer me_!"

"...Yes," he replied quietly.

Mother Choi laughed again, crossing her arms while shooting them a sneering expression. "You brats must think your life is a joke. Do you want to die?"

Jumin's grey eyes widened when he saw her hand quickly approach them and before he knew it, she had smacked him in the face — so hard it stung.

" _Oppa_!" Jaehee cried out.

Mother Choi didn't waste a second to hit him again, kicking him to the ground — not caring he was just a child. When Jaehee tried to interfere, she received a shove from the woman that left her falling back.

" _Stop_! You're hurting him!" the child pleaded, completely being ignored.

Jumin held his red cheek as he reeled back. "Don't be like this please!" he finally exclaimed, glaring at her helplessly.

"If you did this, consider this your last moment." The woman's cold, heartless eyes bored into his soul as her outstretched, red nails neared his sight rapidly again.

"No!" Jumin shut his eyes, covering his face with his arms while prepared to be hit again.

Jaehee suddenly jumped in front of him, and Mother Choi ended up hitting her instead — slapping her so hard the girl fell unconscious, stumbling to the side.

Jumin stared at Jaehee's limp body in horror as she fell on the floor with a loud thud.

He immediately ran towards her as the red-haired woman muttered a curse under her breath.

"Jaehee. _Jaehee_." He shook her body frantically, gently taking it between his arms while cradling her head. " _Wake up_!"

Slowly, she opened her big eyes again, wincing instantly as he sighed in relief. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Ow... Oppa?"

"Jaehee." His eyes lit up with tears he would not let fall. "Why did you do that? Idiot..."

Jaehee only looked at him with soft brown eyes, which angered him more. Why did she think it was okay to risk herself for him?!

"Don't you remember? I told you I would protect you... I also don't like to go back on my word." She smiled.

He shook his head in disbelief, still teary-eyed, before smiling back. "You big dummy..." He pushed away his tears with the back of his hand. "You're so foolish."

"' _Foolish_ '...? Are you making up words, Oppa?" Jaehee rose a brow at him. A six-year-old could only know so many words — it was strange a seven-year-old was so well-versed. "Anyway, if I'm dumb, you're even dumber for thinking I'd let you get hurt!"

Mother Choi had left while the two were talking and they noticed the wailing of babies had suddenly stopped.

* * *

Jumin took Jaehee for a surprise date after her last day of work.

Mi-Cha was basically pushing both Jaehee and Jumin out of the office door as soon as the work day was over; kicking them out with a huge, cheerful grin on her face.

She shot a sly, knowing look at Jumin, which he almost returned, leaving Jaehee as the only oblivious one.

Much to her confusion, Jaehee heard MC mutter something directed at Jumin under her breath, "Good luck."

She was sure she was missing information — those two were certainly up to something — but letting out a sigh, left it at that.

She remembered feeling a little wistful that day, no longer being Jumin Han's assistant. The notion felt almost impossible. Had she been sent to an alternate reality?

If that was the case, she was content.

If she meant she had him like this; taking the hand he offered to her as the two got out of his limousine, arriving to the same amusement park of their first date.

"It's empty..." She shot him a playful, if teasing smile. " _Jumin_ , did you rent the amusement park again?"

Jumin feigned indignation. "No," he said, as if such a thing were a ridiculous question. "I bought it."

Jaehee chuckled. "I knew you— _Wait, what_?!" Her eyes nearly jumped out of her sockets in shock.

"I bought the amusement park." Jumin repeated, deadpan.

"Jumin, you— when— why— this—" she sputtered, unable to form a coherent sentence. "This is an expensive thing to buy, even for you!"

Jumin shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't more than pocket money for me. It's nothing to worry about." He smiled. Sometimes Jaehee forgot just how rich her boyfriend was. "The park is ours, and so are all the memories we formed here."

"Ours...?" She looked up, murmuring the words softly before turning around with something akin to a shameful smile. "Jumin... I just... I don't want you to waste so much money on me," she revealed, letting out a strained, forced laugh as small tears surfaced from her eyes. "You spoil me too much sometimes," she told him only half-jokingly. _"You're too kind to me."_

Jaehee still remembered all the things her aunt said to her. Calling her worthless, useless, a burden... A waste of money and space. They had never left her mind even as she grew and moved alone for good, not wanting to burden anyone ever again.

Jumin stared at her with widened eyes in momentaneus bafflement. Then he scowled, turning away from her. "Don't say such a foolish thing. You should know better..." he told her.

Jaehee realized that his eyes had softened greatly as he opened them again, seeming pained. "...How could I ever dote on you too much? Anything I do for the most precious and important person in the world to me is not a waste..." he stated before turning around and enveloping her between his arms tightly, laying his head on top of hers.

Jaehee looked up at him with surprise.

"You don't owe me anything. I just did this because I wanted to," Jumin told her softly, sincere. "It's painful to know that you reject love and affection given to you as if you don't deserve it. It makes me believe that... You're not used to being loved."

She really wasn't used to it, wasn't she? Jaehee held him closely. "I think neither of us are."

Jumin chuckled slightly. "You're right. We both need to learn."

Jaehee smiled. "We do have time."

As he pulled away, he gently tucked a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Allow me be kind to you. You _do_ deserve it, you deserve it all and more."

They inadvertently got lost in each other's gaze.

A small smile slowly grew on Jaehee's face, and she wrapped her arms around Jumin again. Knowing she was loved... That she was precious to someone. It was a new feeling, but a very welcome one.

"Thank you..." she said, breaking the silence and separating from him slightly as she looked up at his silver eyes. "I love you," she told him.

Jumin gave her a small smile, feeling his heart warm up. "I thought I didn't have to worry about you saying I love you?" he stated in what was clearly a joking manner.

Jaehee sputtered a bit. "Jumin, I swear—!" she exclaimed, hitting his shoulder; he just _had_ to ruin the moment. But then she stood on her tiptoes whilst he let out a breathy laugh, kissing him on the cheek.

Jumin immediately stopped laughing; his eyes widened, and he flushed deeply. Jaehee took it as a victory.

She smiled broadly, putting her arms behind her back with mirth before leaning into Jumin's ear as he recovered, a hand holding his cheek. "Oppa, you're my most precious person, too," she whispered in a mischevious tone — that playful glint in her brown eyes, that side of her she only showed to him.

It reminded him so much of when they were children and she had that same impish sparkle in her eyes. It was adorable.

His expression seemed blank as she pulled away, she noticed the way he was looking at her strangely. Then he slowly smiled, a heart-warming look in his eyes.

"Ju... Jumin?" Jaehee asked in confusion, seeing how he still hadn't said anything.

She was starting to become more confused by the minute, when suddenly, Jumin got on one knee in front of her.

Jaehee gasped and her eyes widened immensely in surprise and realization.

He was proposing to her.

"I want you to forever be by my side... Like you always have. You're the one person I trust the most, and the one who is most precious to me. I love you so much it's painful..." The smile on his face was radiant, and his eyes showed so much fondness. "So it only makes sense..."

She stared at him speechlessly, seeing how he pulled out a small, red box from the pocket of his suit.

"Marry me, Jaehee?"

Tears escaped Jaehee's eyes, running down her face as she smiled wide; the sheer joy inside her felt uncontainable. She looked down at him with glimmering, golden-brown eyes.

Then she noticed... The engagement ring was silver with a round, white diamond in the center, surrounded by two tiny, cat-shaped ears.

Jaehee laughed. Who knew it was possible to ever feel this happy?

" _Yes_. Yes, you cat lover."

He got up, smiling in relief, before she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him senseless.

He brought her up to the air, spinning her around in happiness.

As the two finally separated, laughing and foreheads touching. "I knew my offer was too irresistible for you," he teased.

"Yes." Jaehee rolled her eyes with a smile. "I accept your one-time offer. It was great doing business with you."

* * *

Some moments after Mother Choi had mysteriously disappeared, they heard the sound of sirens outside.

The police arrived, and now Jaehee's parents and Jumin's father were fussing over the kids, hugging the living daylights out of them and noting their bruises.

After a while, they had managed to get away to talk.

Jumin was telling her how he would teach her how to ride a bycicle and Jaehee couldn't have been more excited. She asked him if he would introduce her to V, the friend he had talked to her about.

Jumin realized he was worried that if she met him, there'd be the possibility that she would like talking more with V than him. It was the first time he had ever felt the notion of jealousy.

"I also have a car, Father bought it for me from Germany. We can go for a ride." He smiled, remembering his most recent new toy. The two were holding hands, which Jaehee was swinging around cheerfully.

"Whoa, a car?! Oppa's so cool...!" She looked at him with a mix of surprise and admiration, which made Jumin puff out his chest proudly. "Do you know how to drive it?"

"Err..." He suddenly became nervous. He won't tell her he managed to crash it fifteen times in ten minutes. "I'm in growing development."

Jaehee laughed.

But their parents walked towards them, already urging them to go and say goodbye. The kids held on to the other's hand tightly, backing away from them.

Little Jumin and Jaehee didn't want to say goodbye.

They managed to run away from the adults, who started looking around for them. They knew they didn't have much time, and it was likely (from the sour looks their parents were exchanging) that they wouldn't be seeing each other again.

Jumin and Jaehee hid behind a shrub, crouching down as their backs faced the wall.

Jaehee looked at him with an extremely serious expression, speaking in a hurried way. "Before anything, I want Oppa to be happy. Can Oppa promise me that?"

Jumin blushed slightly. "I... I promise." They linked their pink fingers together. "Jaehee has to be happy, too... And call me Jumin." He had finally decided to tell her his name.

Jaehee's eyes widened. "Jumin?" He nodded. She smiled the widest smile he had seen from her. "Your name is pretty."

"Thank you... So is yours."

Jaehee giggled. "Marry me, Jumin! Then I'll be happy and we can be together forever!" she exclaimed suddenly, clasping her hands together.

Jumin was shocked (did she have any idea what marriage even was? He had a feeling not.) But he laughed softly, a blush covering his cheeks as he nodded. "Yes... I'll marry you," he promised.

Jaehee looked at him with glimmering eyes before she got up and took his hand.

She danced around, giggling and twirling with him as Jumin smiled at her fondly.

They'd never forget that promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know I said this was the last, but I couldn't resist writing an epilogue that I will be posting some time after this :)


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